Love Ties
by OIMDIL13
Summary: Junior year has just begun for Mariana when she is called to her mama's office. There she meets a new student who has a big secret. As the two grow close, will this secret tear them apart or bring them closer together? MarianaXOC Fem-slash Don't like don't read.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey guys! So this story came to me while I was sitting in Pre Cal, so the idea could be terrible. All of the AdamsFoster family will be featured in this story, although it will focus on Mariana and my OC. This is a femslash, if you don't like, turn away now.**

 **I have the first seven chapters planned out, and the first three already written, but I would like to know what you think before I begin posting on the regular. I will shoot for one update a week, probably on Tuesday or Thursday, depending on my schedule.**

 **The last thing I have to say is this story begins at the beginning of Mariana and Jesus's junior year, and Jude's freshman (I don't know if the years are right or not, so correct me if I'm wrong) while Callie and Brandon are at UCLA.**

 **Disclaimer: The Fosters in no way belong to me, though Nicole and her family do. I make no money off of this story. This disclaimer also follows every chapter that will be posted to this story.**

Mariana nervously made her way to the Assistant Principals office, making the walk as long as she possibly could. It was only the second week of school and logically she knew she hadn't done anything wrong. Nevertheless she was nervous. Her mama would only call her if something was wrong with one of her other siblings or mom. She wasn't worried, not really. She knew if something had happened her mama wouldn't wait until the end of the day to tell her. Instead of worrying she was nervous.

Taking the long way to the office had only increased the walking time by about three minutes, not nearly as much as Mariana wanted, but she decided it would have to do and soon found herself standing outside her mothers' office.

Lena saw her daughter through the window and waved her in, motioning for her to close the door after she entered. Mariana did so and then took a seat on the couch in her mother's office. Lena hid a chuckle at her youngest daughters' obvious nervousness and sat beside her.

"I didn't think it took that long to get here from English." Lena said in an effort to help her daughter relax. Mariana chuckled softly.

"Yeah, I may have taken the long way around." She looked down sheepishly as Lena laughed.

"Well, you aren't in trouble, and everyone is perfectly fine so you can relax." Mariana visibly relaxed, the tension in her shoulders releasing.

"So then what do you need me for?" Mariana asked, sinking back into the couch.

"We have a new student and I would like you to show her around." Mariana nodded. "And I thought you might like to get out of your last class of the day." Mariana smiled at her curly haired mother and Lena laughed. Lena then moved to the door, opening and gesturing for someone to come in.

A girl about two inches shorter than Lena walked through the door. Her long blonde hair fell down her back, curled slightly at the end. She wore dark wash blue jeans, white Vans, and a Captain America t-shirt, the blue color made her eyes pop.

"Nicole, this is Mariana. She has agreed to spend the rest of the day showing you around and answering any questions you have." Mariana smiled and stood, holding her hand out for the other girl to shake. Nicole took her outstretched hand in her won, offering a small nervous smile.

"It's nice to meet you." Nicole said politely.

"Likewise," Mariana replied. "Shall we get started?"

"Sure." Mariana gave her mother a quick hug before the two students left the room.

"Why did you hug her?" Nicole asked once they were a good distance from the office, walking down the science hallway.

"She's my mom." Mariana answered simply. "I was adopted."

"Oh," Nicole looked surprised but intrigued. "That's nice."

"Yeah I actually have two moms, and no dad."

"Wow. How many siblings do you have?" Nicole asked as the turned down another hallway, neither of them really paying attention to where they were going.

"I have two older siblings, a brother and a sister, a twin brother, and a younger brother."

"That's cool."

"What about you?" Mariana asked as they passed the gym after a few minutes of silence.

"Oh, I live with my Aunt and Uncle. I have a younger cousin but no siblings. My cousin is a student here." Mariana nodded.

"Have you always lived with them?" Mariana instantly regretted the question when Nicole looked down sadly.

"No, I moved here last week."

"Oh." Mariana didn't press for any more details. They walked all over the campus of Anchor Beach before taking a seat on the beach, waiting for the final bell to ring.

"Mariana!" They both turned at the sound of a masculine voice calling her name. Jesus came jogging up to them, plopping down beside his twin. "Oh, hey." He said with a smile in Nicole's' direction.

"Hi."

"Jesus this is Nicole. Nicole this is my twin brother, Jesus." Mariana gestured with her hands as she said their names.

"Also known as the good looking one." Jesus said with a wink.

"Right." Mariana snorted while Nicole laughed.

"I'll take your word for it." Nicole said. Jesus looked offended. "Sorry, man, but you aren't my type." Mariana laughed at her brothers' dumbstruck expression.

"Well, then what is your type?" Jesus asked enjoying the banter immensely.

"You'll see." Nicole answered and ten checked the time on her phone. "I had better get home. Thanks for showing me around, Mariana," She stood as did Mariana and Jesus." It was nice to meet you Jesus."

"Nice to meet you too. Are you walking home?" Nicole nodded and pointed in the direction of her home. "We can walk with you. We live in the same area."

"Great." The trio started off, Nicole walking in the middle of the two AdamsFoster kids. Jude soon caught up to them and after making introductions joined the conversation regarding the best TV show on at the time.

"But all the characters are dying!" Jude exclaimed after Nicole brought up her love of Grey's Anatomy.

"I know, but it's still a great show. I love the storylines. All though I am still very torn up about Derek's death." Nicole explained with a small as they stopped in front of her house. She lived about two blocks away from the AdamsFoster family. "This is my stop," she said, "thanks for walking me home."

"No problem, happy to do it." Mariana spoke for all of them and offered her phone to Nicole. "If you need any help getting around give me a call." Nicole quickly put her number in a sent a text to herself. Mariana took her phone back and the three siblings continued their walk home as Nicole entered her home.

"Hey guys how was school?" Stef asked her three youngest kids as they stepped into the kitchen later that day. Lena was finishing placing dinner on the table and smiled as her kids took their seats.

"Good, we finally started doing actual school work rather than talking about summer." Jude said, being the only AdamsFoster kid who enjoyed school.

"Oh joy." Jesus said sarcastically. Stef chuckled shooting a smile at her wife.

"Mariana made a new friend." Jude said before shoveling chicken into his mouth.

"Oh yeah?" Stef asked with Lena following up right after.

"You and Nicole get along?"

"Yeah," Mariana paused so she could finish chewing before explaining further. "She seems really cool. I enjoyed talking to her. I told her to call me if she has any trouble finding her way around."

"That's great sweetie." Stef said and then the discussion moved to other topics. Lena smiled, happy that her daughter and the new student got along well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello all, I am very happy with the response this story has received, and I greatly appreciate all reviews and follows/favorites. Thank you all so much.**

 **The first seven or so chapters of this story are pretty fast paced, however it will slow down to where chapters cover less than a week at a time, instead of several.**

 **Enjoy!**

Two weeks passed by quickly. Nicole ended up calling Mariana on her second day, asking for help finding her classes. The two had been so busy talking, Mariana hadn't really showed her where all the classes were. As it turned out, the girls had most of the same classes, so it was rather easy for Mariana to actually show her around. Jesus joined them when he had the same class, and they saw Jude at lunch sometimes.

Nicole really enjoyed being around Mariana, but she also worried what would happen when her secret got out. She wouldn't be able to keep it a secret forever. In fact she gave it three months until the whole school found out. She did not expect Mariana to find out exactly one month after they met.

Mariana was worried for her friend when she wasn't there for their shared classes one day, exactly a month after they met. She tried texting her, but received no reply. When Nicole showed up in the middle of sixth period with a note excusing her from her morning classes, Mariana became suspicious.

She didn't like the idea that her new friend was hiding something from her. She really liked hanging out with Nicole, she hadn't had a friend like that since Lexi had moved away. She knew Jesus liked her too, though not romantically. She waited the remaining two and a half periods before confronting Nicole on their walk home. They were alone for once, Jude had a project with Conner and Jesus had wrestling practice.

"Why did you miss class this morning?" Mariana asked a few minutes into their walk. Nicole looked away, avoiding Mariana's sharp glare.

"No reason." That was possibly the worst excuse she had ever given.

"Liar."

"I don't have to tell you." Nicole spay angrily, suddenly defensive. Mariana held her hands up to signify she meant no harm.

"Sorry, I just want you to know you can tell me, if you want too." Mariana was burning with the desire to know what her friend was keeping from her, but she didn't want to say that.

"Look, telling you means I have to begin a really long story that I don't really enjoy telling. Not to mention that it is private." Nicole snapped before suddenly calming down. "I'm sorry, it's just, this is something big, and really important. I don't want to lose you because of it." Nicole looked down sadly.

"Hey," Mariana grabbed her hand, pulling them both to a stop, "you aren't going to lose me. I'll be your friend regardless of this big secret. Well, as long as you haven't killed anyone." Her eyes grew wide. "You haven't right?"

"No," Nicole laughed, "but this is pretty big."

"I've got time." Nicole smiled slightly when Mariana bumped their shoulders together. They were standing in front of Nicole's house.

Nicole considered her options for a moment. She could tell Mariana to forget it, and go back to their regular friendship, or she could tell her and risk losing her friend for good. A glance at Mariana told her she could lose the Latina anyway, she might as well leave with the truth.

"Let's go inside." Nicole led the way to her bedroom, where they both took a seat on the floor, leaning against the blonde's bed.

They sat in awkward silence for a while. The first, Mariana realized, awkward moment since they became friends.

"Okay," Nicole began, "before I tell you the whole story, I want you to know that I understand if you don't want to be friends after this. Don't," she held up her hand to stop Mariana from speaking, "you can talk when I'm done." She took a deep breath before beginning her story.

"It started at a party about two months ago. My friend Jessica dragged me there, saying that I needed to have some fun. It was summer vacation and I had spent most of my time working out or watching Netflix. There was a guy there, Chad. We had been really close when we were little, but drifted apart as we grew up. He brought me a drink, and we started talking. Before too long I was drunk, beyond drunk. I don't remember much of the night. I only get flashes, but I do remember waking up the next morning with a killer hangover, naked in Chads' bed.

"A month passed and I was growing concerned because I was two weeks late. I tried to remember if we had used a condom that night, but I couldn't recall anything. So I went to the drug store. Five positive pink pluses later, my mom drags me to the doctor to have my blood drawn. It took two weeks to get the results, but I was already packed and ready to leave when my dad came home and told me to get out. My Uncle had drove to Texas and was helping me load my things up. He said he was disappointed in me, but he knew I would make the right decision when it came to the baby. He and my Aunt took me in. I missed school this morning because I had a doctor's appointment." Nicole reached into her bag and pulled out an envelope, offering it to Mariana.

Mariana pulled out a black and white picture.

"That's my baby." Nicole couldn't hold back her smile. He or she was so tiny, and it would be another few months before she would be able to find out the gender, but she fell in love with the baby at her ultrasound that morning.

Mariana was silent for a long time, just staring at the picture of the baby that was currently inside her friends' stomach.

"I understand if you don't want to be friends anymore." Nicole said as Mariana finally handed the picture back to her.

"No," Mariana spoke, "I still want to be your friend. You are going to need someone since the father isn't here." There was no way Mariana would abandon her friend. Nicole smiled and pulled the shorter girl into a hug. Mariana hugged her back tightly.

"I don't want to tell people for a while. I mean, I know I'll start to show a lot more before my next appointment, but I want to keep it quiet for now." Nicole said as they stood up so Mariana could head home for dinner.

"Of course. Just let me know if you need anything."

"I will." Nicole promised and walked Mariana to the door. The two girls hugged again and Mariana left, her mind buzzing with her friends' secret.

"Hey, I thought you would beat us home." Jude said as his sister joined them at the table.

"Yeah, we got distracted from the homework, we didn't even finish." Mariana lied with a fake smile.

"Why were you so distracted?" Stef asked as she removed her hand from rubbing her wife's back.

"Probably talking about boys." Jesus said with a cheeky grin, obviously thinking they were discussing him. Mariana just smiled and nodded before she began to eat.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN~ So I won't have time to post later this week, so I'm posting this tonight. I might post again on Friday, because it is my birthday. We will see.**

 **Enjoy!**

Two weeks had passed since Nicole revealed her secret to Mariana. During those two weeks, Mariana found herself acting…differently towards Nicole. She had started to carry her books around for her, not meaning to at first but then automatically picking up Nicole's when she grabbed hers. She always made sure Nicole had a clear path to wherever she may be going at any given time. She also had to stop herself from constantly placing a hand on her friend's slowly growing stomach. She had the urge to touch her every time her friend stood up, or smiled at her.

Nicole had of course noticed her friend's behavior. At first she found it quite annoying. She was pregnant not incapacitated. Over the last week or so she began to appreciate what her friend was doing for her. It meant a lot to her that someone she had no real ties to would be willing to help her.

However, her friend's helpfulness caused another problem, one much harder to deal with than simply talking. The problem was not Mariana but actually Nicole herself. While the blonde had told Mariana that her parents had kicked her out, she hadn't told her the whole story. Three weeks before Nicole found out she was pregnant, she came out to her parents as a lesbian. They didn't like that, and began to discuss the best way to kick their daughter out. At that moment in time, Nicole's uncle had called to check up on his favorite niece. Her parents quickly explained what Nicole had told them to the man, who said he would be there in two weeks to pick her up.

Her Uncle ended up having to wait another week to come get her because his wife had to go out of town, and their son couldn't travel. During that extra week, Nicole found out she was pregnant.

So, Mariana knew one of her friends' secrets, but Nicole dreaded the moment she would find out the other one. Because, just as Mariana never failed to grab Nicole's books, Nicole fell for Mariana a little bit more each day.

By then end of October, Nicole had really begun to show. Her baby bump could only be hidden under baggy t-shirts and she had gone up a size, or two, in jeans. Mariana did her best not to touch her friends' bump, but the task grew harder every day.

Some days, Mariana would catch herself staring at the blonde. Not looking at her bump, but at her. She noticed how her tongue would peek out from the corner of her mouth when she was working on a hard math problem. She saw how Nicole's left eyebrow would rise just a bit when she was confused. Mariana would watch the taller girl twirl her pencil as she thought about something, and flip it over twice before finally writing her answer. Then she would spot one hand absently wander to her bump and rub it softly. Nicole would smile just a little, a barely there lift on one corner of her mouth, before returning to her work.

Nicole watched Mariana too, taking in every aspect of the Latina. She saw how Mariana pretended to take a long time when answering a question in Pre Cal, and her satisfied smile when she got the answer right. She watched the brunette tap her eraser on her desk when she was thinking of an answer, then quickly flip her pencil around and tap the front end on the desk before writing her answer. Nicole noticed that Mariana always carried her bag on her left shoulder, and kept her right side towards the crowd. The blonde would catch glimpses of Mariana staring at her, usually after she unconsciously touched her bump, and fight hard not to blush and then pray that Mariana wouldn't notice when her cheeks turned red anyway.

While both girls were busy watching each other, Jesus also noticed his sisters' strange behavior. Never, that he could remember, had Mariana carried any one's books but her own. Most of the time, she forgot hers. But something was different, and Jesus suspected it had everything to do with Nicole, and whatever she was hiding underneath her baggy tees and loose jeans. He was determined to get to the bottom of it.

It turned out to be pretty easy for Jesus to find some time to be alone with Nicole. Mariana had stayed behind to talk to their mama and Jude had gone to Connor's house one day in early October. Jesus and Nicole were making the now familiar walk down the sidewalk that eventually lead to both of their houses.

"Nicole, I have a question." Jesus said, startling Nicole from her thoughts of what gender her baby would be.

"Ask away." She said, swallowing nervously.

"What is going on with you and Mariana?" Nicole stopped walking abruptly.

"What do you mean?" He couldn't possibly know how she felt for his sister, could he?

"You two have been acting strange for a few weeks now. I've seen the two of you watching one another. Usually when the other one isn't paying attention. And you touch your stomach, a lot." Jesus stepped in front of his friend and turned around so they were face to face. "Is there something I should know about?"

"I'm pregnant." Nicole blurted out before she could stop herself. Jesus stared at her open mouthed for a moment before responding.

"And what does that have to do with my sister?" His eyes bore into Nicole's

"She is the only other person outside my family who knows." Nicole looked down just a little too quickly, making Jesus think there was something else.

"And?"

"And…" Nicole drew out the word, turning one syllable to two "I may be falling in love with your sister."

Before Jesus could stop himself, he started laughing. Not just a chuckle, a full on from the belly laugh.

"I did not expect that!" He managed to say through his laughter while Nicole glared at him. "I'm sorry, that just took me by surprise."

"Thanks for the support." Nicole spat before walking away. Jesus quickly caught up to her.

"I'm sorry. Are you going to tell her?"

"Why would I do that?" Nicole avoided his gaze.

"Because if I know my sister, and I think I do, she feels the same way." Nicole sighed sadly.

"How could she? I'm seventeen, pregnant, and a lesbian. Those three things don't exactly go hand in hand. She could never feel the same way. Even if she did, I'm nowhere near good enough for her."

"I think you're wrong. But I won't force you to do anything, it is your choice. Just know I am here if you need me." Nicole nodded and the two continued their walk in silence.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN~ Hey guys, so this chapter is a little short and I apologize for that but I haven't had time to add anything to this right now. I'm sick right now so if I get the next chapter the way I want it I may post it tonight so be on the lookout.**

 **Enjoy!**

"Hey, I have a question." Nicole said into the phone on Tuesday night. She was sitting on her bed, phone pressed to her ear as she stared at her first ultrasound.

"Shoot." Mariana was walking up the stairs to her bedroom.

"I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. I'm really nervous and I was wondering if you would come with me." Nicole paused. "But you totally don't have too. I mean, if you don't want too I get it. I'm saying you have to-"

"Nicole!" Mariana interrupted her friend.

"Yeah?"

"Yes I will come with you. I just have to tell my mom's." Nicole nodded, momentarily forgetting that Mariana couldn't actually see her. "Is it okay if I tell them?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Maybe they can help."

"Alright. I'll text you and let you know how they take it."

"Okay, Bye, Mari." Nicole had recently shortened her friends' name.

"Bye, Nikki." Mariana thought she would return the favor.

The girls hung up and Mariana made her way downstairs to talk to her moms.

"Hey sweetie," Lena said watching her daughter take a seat. Stef was standing with her wife at the stove, one arm wrapped loosely around her. "What's up?" Lena moved out of her wife's grasp, taking a seat next to her daughter.

"I just got off the phone with Nikki, and I have a question but first I need to tell you something." Lena moved the pan she was using off of the hot stove and took a seat across from her daughter. Stef shot her a mildly alarmed look.

"What's going on?"

"Nikki is pregnant." Mariana didn't mean to blurt it out like that, honestly she didn't. However, the words burst from her lips anyway. Both of her moms sat in shocked silence.

"How far along is she?" Stef finally asked after a long stretch of silence.

"She goes in for her three month appointment tomorrow morning."

"So, she knew she was pregnant when she moved here?" Lena asked, her mind going back to the blondes first day of school.

"Yeah, actually it is kind of the reason she moved. Her parents kicked her out so her Uncle and Aunt took her in."

"Before we move on, what is your question?" Stef paused the conversation already knowing what her daughter would ask.

"Can I go with her? She is really nervous and her Aunt and Uncle can't get off work to take her. She shouldn't have to go alone." Mariana looked her blonde mother in the eye as she spoke, knowing Stef would be harder to convince. Lena shared a look with her wife and nodded once. Stef nodded as well and turned back to her daughter.

"Yes, you can go, but you better be back to school before fifth period." Stef knew that having the time limit would make sure Mariana, and Nicole, would make it to school for at least part of the day.

Mariana nodded her agreement and raced upstairs to text her friend the good news.

"She doesn't even see it, does she?" Lena asked as they returned to cooking.

"See what?" Stef pulled a pitcher of sweet tea out of the fridge and placed it on the table.

"That she is in love with Nicole." Stef froze, her mouth dropping open.

"What? What makes you say that?"

"It's fairly obvious I think," Lena continued, "she has never been so close to anyone, not even Lexi. Ever since they met there has not been a day where they aren't together, doing homework, watching a movie, or just hanging out. I'm willing to bet Nicole feels the same way."

"What do we do if she is?"

"We support her of course. What else would we do?"

"I mean, if she is in love, what about the baby? Mariana is only seventeen. She is way too young to be a mother."

"So is Nicole. And Mariana is right, she shouldn't have to do anything alone." Lena placed the plates on the table, her wife spreading out the silverware. "And if I'm right, Nicole won't be alone for a long time."

"You think?" Lena thought back to her daughter's determined expression when she asked to go with her friend to the doctor. She could see the fire in her eyes, the emotions that Mariana didn't even know she felt.

"No," Lean answered, "I know."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN~ Again, this chapter is a little short, but I wanted to get it out there tonight. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I know I have been looking forward to it.**

 **Enjoy!**

Nicole had never felt more nervous than she did sitting in waiting room, impatiently waiting for her name to be called. Mariana sat beside her, just as anxious. Mariana had, on instinct, grabbed her hand when they sat down together and had not yet released it. Nicole took comfort in the soft hand that clutched hers, but Mariana couldn't help but question why she had done it. As they waited, Mariana thought about how she felt around Nicole. She was happy, but an underlying sense of comfort and familiarity also lingered. She had never felt so relaxed, around someone. Even now, when she was questioning her feelings while waiting to see Nicole's baby on a little screen, she felt completely relaxed. She even longed to touch the bump on her friends' stomach, an urge she had battled since the day she found out Nicole was pregnant.

Nicole watched Mariana out of the corner of her eye. Emotions floated across her face, she seemed to be deep in thought. Nicole glanced at their still joined hands which rested on the Latina's thigh. Marinana's thumb brushed against her knuckles absently, the motion comforting the blonde immensely.

"Nicole Cooper?" The girl in question nearly jumped out of her skin when her name was called. Mariana stood up, pulling the nervous girl with her by their joined hands.

The pair made their way to a room where Nicole climbed onto the table. The nurse took her stats, and then left the two girls alone telling them the doctor would be in soon.

"How you holding up?" Mariana asked from her spot beside the bed, her hand still firmly held by the blonde.

"I'm okay." Nicole whispered softly with a nervous smile. Mariana smiled back and leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on Nicole's forehead. Blue eyes slipped closed at the contact and a sigh escaped her lips before Nicole could stop it. Before anything could be said, the doctor walked in.

"Hello ladies. My name is Dr. Booker." The deep voice sounded as the doctor took a seat beside the ultrasound machine. His dark brown eyes flickered between of the two of them and he offered them a reassuring smile. He began to get the machine ready. "Please unbutton your jeans and pull your shirt up so I can see the bump." He instructed. Nicole did so with one hand, the other still clasped with Mariana's.

The appointment moved along quickly, Nicole answering all of Dr. Bookers' questions easily. When he asked about morning sickness Nicole quickly answered with yes she had some, but no it wasn't too bad.

"Alright, you are about three months along, everything looks great so far. Are you ready to see your baby?" Nicole nodded enthusiastically with a large smile. Mariana squeezed her hand gently. "Alright, this will be a little cold." Dr. Booker applied the freezing gel to Nicoles' exposed stomach. She hissed slightly at the temperature, but her attention was soon directed to the small figure on the screen.

The heartbeat sounded through the room, sounding like a little train. Nicole felt tears of joy in her eyes as she set eyes on her bay for the second time.

Mariana couldn't describe what she was feeling. Her lips spread in a smile and her heart rate increased. She fell in love with the child within seconds. Nicole squeezed her hand gently.

"Mari?" Nicole asked softly. Mariana turned her gaze from the baby to his/her mother. "You okay?"

Overcome with emotion, Mariana could only nod.

"Would you like to know the gender?" Dr. Booker asked.

"Yes." Nicole answered. The doctor studied the image for moment before turning to the girls.

"Congratulations, you are having a bouncing baby boy."

When they left they drove slowly to school, stopping for lunch before they went back. That sat in silence for the most part.

"Can't believe I'm going to be a mother." Nicole said suddenly breaking the silence as they made their way into the school parking lot. "I mean, I've known for a while but today just made it seem so real." Mariana reached over and took the blondes hand in her own after putting the car in park.

"Are you scared?" She asked turning her body as much as she could in her seat to face Nicole.

"What if I do something wrong?" Nicole played with the hand clasped in hers, not meeting Mariana's eyes. "What if screw up?"

"You won't." IT broke Mariana's heart to see her friend so upset.

"But I'm all alone." Nicole looked to be holding back tears as she gazed out the window, looking anywhere but at Mariana. Mariana used her free hand to gently grasp the blondes chin, making Nicole look at her.

"Nikki, you aren't alone." She said, moving her hand slightly to cup her cheek. Nicole leaned into the hand against her face without thought, the warmth comforting her.

"Yes I am, my parents kicked me out, my aunt and uncle won't even take me to the doctor. I have no one."

"You have me." Nicole's eyes snapped up to meet Mariana's piercing gaze. Her mouth dropped open slightly as she took in the love in the brown eyes that bore into her own.

"Why? Why would you help me?" Her gaze fell again, landing on their joined hands which rested on her leg. "I-"

Before she could say anything else, Mariana had closed the distance in between them, firmly pressing their lips together. Nicole gasped into the kiss, but found herself kissing back almost immediately. Her hand moved up to cup Mariana's neck, the other falling on her leg. Mariana gripped her waist with her now free hand, the other tangled in blonde hair.

They finally separated when lack of oxygen became a major problem. They pressed their foreheads together panting slightly.

"That," Mariana said with a chuckle, "is why you have me."


	6. Chapter 6

**AN~ Sorry I'm posting this so late into the evening. School has been crazy as hell and I haven't had much time to write. Never fear, the chapter is up on time. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. After this we will have a slight time jump to Nicole's next doctors appointment and maybe something special will happen.**

 **Also I'm confusing myself with the timeline a little bit, so if you guys want me to post the general timeline let me know.**

 **Last thing: I am now taking suggestions for baby names. Nicole is having a boy, the last name will be Cooper. I am accepting first and middle names. Don't hesitate to leave a review!**

 **Enjoy!**

One week had passed since Mariana kissed Nicole in her car in the school parking lot. One week, and Nicole was even more confused than ever before. She hadn't heard from Mariana in almost three days. The brunette hadn't been at school, nor had she answered her phone. Jesus seemed to never be around either, so Nicole couldn't ask the boy where his sister was.

Nicole's first thought was that Mariana was avoiding her. The Latina was freaked out by the kiss and never wanted to see her again. OF course she was completely irrational, which she knew, but she thought it anyway.

Her next thought was that her parents hadn't accepted her and Mariana was being forced to stay away from Nicole. That thought was, of course, completely ridiculous and Nicole dismissed it just as quickly as it came upon her.

For three days every possible reason for why Mariana wasn't contacting her swam through Nicole's mind, but she always came to the same conclusion: Mariana now hated her and never wanted to see her again. Finally Nicole decided to go to her house after school.

The walk to the AdamsFoster house seemed to go much faster than it actually took Nicole to walk. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the house, staring at the front door. Before she could lift her hand to knock the door was swung open and a pair of arms wrapped around her.

"Nikki, I'm so happy to see you!" Mariana hugged her tightly, their bodies fitting almost perfectly together. "I'm so sorry I haven't called. I was so sick. I couldn't move for like a full a day, and my head hurt so badly…" Mariana continued to ramble on about being sick while Nicole mentally kicked herself. Mariana didn't hate her, she was just sick.

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

"I didn't want you to be exposed." Mariana gently placed her hand on Nicole's ever growing bump.

"Oh." Nicole said realizing that Mariana simply hadn't wanted to get her sick while she was pregnant.

"I'm glad you're here," Mariana pulled the other girl close to her body once more. Nicole wrapped her arms around the shorter girls' shoulders, resting her cheek against her forehead. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

"Oh?" Nicole pulled back slightly to look at the girl holding her.

"Yeah, come with me." Mariana untangled herself from her and grabbed the blondes' hand. The two made their way upstairs to Mariana's bedroom. Nicole sat on the bed, facing Mariana who stood in front of her. The brunette smiled at her lifting one hand to cup her face, running her thumb along the blondes cheekbone.

"What is it?" Nicole asked, her heart beating so loud she was sure Mariana could hear it.

"This," Mariana leaned down and connected their lips. Nicole automatically moved to grip her waist, pulling their bodies closer together. Mariana ran her tongue along the blonde's lip eagerly awaiting access that Nicole was quick to grant.

"I feel like this isn't talking." Nicole chuckled once they finally parted. Mariana smiled sheepishly.

"But you get the point don't you?"

"Ask me anyway." Mariana smiled and gathered up every ounce of her courage.

"Nicole, will you be my girlfriend?" Nicole pretend to think about it before standing up, pulling Mariana as close to her body as possible with the bump in the way.

"I thought you'd never ask." She said before claiming Mariana's lips with hers once again.

That was how Stef and Lena found them twenty minutes later, locked in a kiss. The married couple shared a knowing smirk before Stef cleared her throat loudly. The two teenagers broke apart quickly, wiping at their mouths in a useless attempt to hide what they were doing.

"How's it going?" Lena asked in a sing song voice chuckling at the blushes that covered the girls faces.

"Pretty good." Nicole answered throwing a wink in Mariana's direction. Mariana blushed harder and buried her face in the blondes shoulder. Nicole laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I assume you will be saying for dinner?" Stef questioned as she leaned against the doorframe. Nicole smiled and nodded her agreement.

"Great we will talk after then." Nicole visibly paled at the blonde cops words but nodded anyway. Mariana felt her tense up and placed a kiss on her shoulder which seemed to help her relax. Lena watched the exchange with a smile. There was no doubt in her mind that these two girls would be together for a long time.

"We'll see you downstairs." The brunette spoke up before dragging her wife out by the hand. The couple made their way downstairs and began to prepare dinner.

"I'm not surprised," Stef said, "that they are together. Mariana absolutely lights up when they are together. I have never seen her look at someone else like that." Lena had to agree with her wife. Mariana had had her fair share of boyfriends, but none of them put a sparkle in her eye like Nicole did.

"I'm not either. But Mariana better be ready for a lot of change in her life."

"What do you mean?" Stef watched her wife brown some meat on the stove as she took a seat at the table.

"Nicole is having a baby. If Mariana really wants to be with her, she is going to have a tough decision to make. Would you have dated a pregnant girl in high school?"

"Probably not. Should we be worried?" Lena turned and moved to embrace her wife.

"Not yet, let's wait until they want to move in together and then we can worry." Stef laughed at the idea but Lena was dead serious.

After dinner the two couples sat in the living room. Stef and Lena each claimed a chair while the teenagers took the couch, their hands clasped together. Mariana seemed slightly apprehensive of the coming conversation while Nicole looked downright scared. Stef held back a chuckle as she took them both in.

"First off, Nicole, we aren't going to kick you out so you can stop looking like you just saw a ghost." Nicole smiled slightly but her body stayed tense. She was worried, rightfully so, that Mariana's moms wouldn't approve of them because she was pregnant. Mariana squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Look, we aren't going to stop you two from being together if that is what you're worried about."

"Why not?" Nicole asked. All three pairs of eyes snapped to her but she pressed on. "Do you really want your daughter to date a pregnant girl?"

Stef sighed and glanced at Lena who gave a small nod.

"Nicole, do you care about Mariana?" Stef asked.

"Of course I do." Nicole answered without hesitation.

"And do you love your child?"

"More than anything."

"And what exactly are looking to get out of this relationship?" Stef waited patiently while Nicole worked out what she wanted to say.

"I just want to be happy, Mrs. AdamsFoster. That's all I've ever wanted. To have someone to love and support me no matter what. Someone to help me when I need it, and hold me when I can't take it anymore. Someone who I could trust around my family, around my son. I just want someone to love." Nicole glanced a Mariana out of the corner of her eye, "And I think your daughter is quickly on her way to becoming that person." Nicole turned her head and smiled at her girlfriend who leaned forward and hugged her tightly.

Stef smiled at the sight then looked over to her wife. Lena watched her daughter hug the younger blonde with a smile and then met her wife's gaze. Stef gave her a slight nod which Lena repeated.

They both had zero doubts that they were sitting in front of their future daughter-in-law.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN~ Hey y'all welcome back! As I said before, slight time skip in this chapter. To make things easier I'm posting a small timeline at the end of this chapter so no one is confused on the dates.**

 **Enjoy!**

Nicole and Mariana quickly adapted to being a couple. They no longer hide their adoring looks from one another, in fact they began to stare even more. They were always together, before school, during and after. Nicole even went to Mariana's dance rehearsals. And they were almost always touching in some way; a hand on the back or thigh, arms wrapped around one another, hands clasped tightly together, or even arm in arm walking down the halls.

Finally, Mariana caved into the urge to touch her girlfriend's stomach.

They were watching a movie at Nicole's house the first time it happened. Nicole had lain across her bed, placing her head in Mariana's lap. At first Mariana had run her hand through her silky blonde hair causing Nicole to drift off, but she woke up the second the warmth of her girlfriends hand registered in her mind. Mariana had been softly running her fingers along the bump that housed the growing boy, a wistful smile on her face. She hadn't noticed Nicole watching her, but since that day her hand was always on Nicole's ever growing bump.

Nicole could no longer hide under baggy t-shirts by the time her next doctors appointment rolled around. She could hear the whispers as she and Mariana walked out of the school hand in hand. People were staring, not at them but at her bump. She unconsciously gripped Mariana's hand tighter, making the brunette glare at the people making her girlfriend uncomfortable. Some looked away while others sneered back.

Luckily they were able to exit the school quickly and make their way to Nicole's car. Her aunt had convinced her parents to help pay for a family car that would be safe for the baby. Her mother ended up paying for the whole thing, upfront in cash.

They quickly climbed in, Mariana driving, and were on their way to the hospital.

"Are you nervous?" Mariana asked as they stopped at a red light. Nicole squeezed the thigh that rested under her hand and smiled.

"Not as much as I was the first time." Mariana was going to ask why, but Nicole's eyes held the answer. Although they had gone to the last appointment together, it was different this time. Mariana wouldn't be there as a supportive friend. She was there as the girlfriend, possible future mother of the boy growing inside Nicole's stomach. Although she had yet to admit it, Mariana was very much in love with Nicole and her baby. The strength of her emotions scared her; she had never felt like this before, ever.

Nicole watched her girlfriend lose herself within her thoughts for a moment when they pulled into the parking lot. She ached to know what was on her mind, but the crease between Mariana's eyebrows told Nicole that the Latina did not want to talk just yet. Instead of speaking, Nicole squeezed Mariana's thigh once again. Mariana turned her head and smiled at her girlfriend leaning over to steal a kiss before they went inside the hospital.

They did not have to wait long for a nurse to call they back. Dr. Booker entered once Nicole was situated on the table, and prepared the ultrasound machine.

Mariana watched the baby appear on the screen, the sound of his heartbeat filling the room. Nicole squeezed the hand held in her own. As Mariana lifted their joined hands to her lips, pressing a gentle kiss along the paler knuckles, her mind was made up. And hopefully her parents and Nicole would agree. She had a feeling that if they did, her life was about to change even more.

The couple left the doctor's office with several copies of the picture of the baby for their families. Stef and Lena had requested one to place on the fridge, Jesus wanted one for his locker as did Jude, and Nicole's aunt was making a scrap book. Of course, the girls each had copy to carry with them.

 **"** My house for dinner?" Mariana asked as they climbed back into the car.

"Sounds great." They rode in silence for a few minutes. "Mari?"

"Yeah?" Mariana glanced at her girlfriend quickly.

"Never mind," Nicole said after a moment of silence. Mariana frowned but kept silent until they reached her house.

"Nikki, what is it?" She asked worriedly. Her mind raced with possibilities of what Nicole would say, 'I'm breaking up with you' one of the first to come to her mind.

"I love you." That was not at all what she expected. She smiled nevertheless.

"I love you too." Nicole couldn't help but smile back at the girl. "And before you say anything else, I love him, too." Mariana reached over and placed her hand on Nicole's stomach.

"You do?" Nicole asked, fearful and hopeful at the same time.

"Of course I do," Mariana answered. "More than anything, like he is my son too."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." Nicole placed her own hand over the one that rested against her bump. "By the time this baby is born, we will both be eighteen. If you're okay with it, I'd like to have you adopt him when he is born."

"You want me to adopt you son?" Mariana asked shocked.

"Yes, I do. I can't imagine doing this with anyone else. I know we are young, and I know other people won't approve but I just have this feeling. You are it for me. The one, my other half, my soul mate. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, raising our son and any other kid we may have. I love you." As soon as Nicole stopped talking her lips were busy yet again as Mariana kissed her passionately. They kissed with fever, saying everything without speaking.

"I would love to adopt him." Mariana agrees once she catches her breath. "And now I have something that I want to ask you."

"Okay," Nicole looked slightly apprehensive until Mariana kissed her again.

"If we are going to raise this baby together, I think we should get our own place, together. I love you, and I think it would be better for us and him if we are all together in one place, away from crazy families."

"Are you serious?"

"We don't have to do it right away, we can wait until after he is born or whenever you want too, I just wanted to put it out there." Nicole kissed her girlfriend once again with passion she didn't know she felt. Everything was falling into place, at least in her eyes.

"We can definitely talk about this later, but for now let's go eat. I'm sure your moms want to know about the appointment." Nicole said while opening her car door. Mariana met her at the front of the vehicle. "And I don't think the answer will be no." Mariana smiled as Nicole connected their lips once again before they made their way inside.

Voices led the couple to the kitchen where they found the AdamsFoster clan setting the table.

"Hey girls, how was the appointment?" Lena asked giving both of them a hug. Nicole proudly handed the ultrasound picture to the curly haired woman while wrapping the other arm around Mariana's waist.

"It was great Mama." Mariana answered before turning quickly when a different voice answered her.

"What was great?"

 **TIMELINE**

 **FIRST DOCOTORS APPOITNMENT – August 3, 2015 (Before Nicole moved to San Diego)**

 **FIRST MEETING – Nicole and Mariana met the second week of school, August 31, 2015**

 **SECOND DOCOR'S APPOINTMENT – Three month checkup October 7, 2015 (Also the day of the first kiss)**

 **BECAME OFFICIAL COUPLE – October 14, 2015**

 **THIRD DOCOTORS APPOINTMENT – November 10, 2015 (This Chapter)**

 **If you ever want an updated timeline let me know**

 **PS: These dates are not exact, it's basically a rough estimate. Since Nicole is nearly three months along when they meet in August I'm saying she got pregnant around the beginning of July. Work with me here, I have no medical knowledge other than 11 seasons of Grey's Anatomy.**

 **PPS: I know this relationship is moving pretty quickly, but this entire story is basically fluff with a small amount of drama. If you don't like the way this is going, stop reading it. (I haven't received any flames, but I felt this needed to be said)**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN~ Sorry this update is coming a little later than normal, it's been a very busy week. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Callie walked into the AdmasFoster kitchen just in time to hear her sister tell their moms that something was great. Her gaze immediately found her younger sister, and she smiled but quickly frowned when she noticed the girl holding her closely.

"What was great?" She asked smiling at Mariana who turned to face her.

"Callie!" Mariana quickly moved to hug her sister, followed closely by the rest of their family. Nicole took a seat next to where Jude normally sat, knowing the sisters preferred to sit together. "What are you doing here?"

"My professor is having a baby so my last class got canceled, I thought I would come home for a long weekend." Callie answered taking a seat across from Nicole.

"How's Brandon?" Lena asked while she placed another plate on the table after pulling out an extra one for Callie.

"He's doing well; he actually has a date Friday night or he would have come home with me." Stef and Lena shared a look, wondering why their son hadn't told them about his date during their last phone call.

"I missed you Callie." Jude said.

"I missed you too bud. What have I missed, what's going on?" Callie asked the group as a whole, though her gaze fell to Nicole who had been quietly gathering up her food, much more than Callie thought she needed. "Mariana you never answered my question: what was great?"

The brunette looked to her girlfriend before answering. Nicole gave a shrug to indicate it was her decision to tell Callie.

"She'll know when I sand up anyway." Nicole said before eagerly digging in to the meal Lena prepared.

"Right, good point. It was our doctor's appointment that was great."

"Who's appointment?" Callie asked looking around at all the people who sat around the table.

"Mine and Nikki's." Mariana answered without pause, smiling at her girlfriend.

"Who's Nikki?"

"I am," Nicole interrupted the conversation between the sisters, slightly raising the fork that was in her hand. "My name is actually Nicole, but Mari calls me Nikki."

"Oh, nice to meet you, I guess."

"Likewise. Mariana talks about you all the time."

"Except that I really don't. I think I've mentioned you twice in the last three weeks." Mariana interjected.

"Not true, love, it was at least six times around me." Nicole fired back, Mariana tossed a stray carrot at her. The couple continued to bicker playfully completely ignoring the others in the room. Callie listened to the exchange with interest, her lips slipping into a frown.

"Love?" She mouths to Jude who is watching the couple with an amused smile, but all he did was nod in her direction. With a sigh Callie turns to her meal, deciding to ask what the deal was when she was alone with her sister in their room.

The family soon drifted into the living room, talking to Callie about the various happenings in school and around the town while Callie told them all about her classes at UCLA. Nicole let the family talk, though she didn't want to go home yet so she sat down on the bench in front of the piano.

Her mind drifted to the conversation she had with Mariana in the car before they came inside and she smiled. Mariana wanted to live together, just the two of them. She smiled at thought of coming home to find Mariana asleep on the couch, or cooking dinner while she waited for her love to come home. The pictured them painting the nursery, having family movie nights, or just lounging around the house. She couldn't wait for it to all happen. Her thoughts continued to drift as she turned around on the bench facing the piano.

Mariana cut off abruptly in the middle of her sentence when she heard the piano begin to filter through the room. She turned to find her girlfriend seated on the bench, her eyes closed as her fingers drifted across the keys. She stood and walked over to the blonde standing behind her.

 ** _Wise men said only fools rush in_**

 ** _But I, I can't help falling in love with you_**

Mariana's mouth dropped open as she heard her girlfriend sing, as did everyone else in the room. Stef and Lena smiled at the sight of their daughter completely amazed by her love. Callie's frown deepened.

"Babe, I didn't know you could sing." Mariana's soft voice surprised Nicole, making the blonde jump slightly though her fingers never wavered.

"I actually wasn't meaning too, I just got lost in thought. I'm glad you liked it though." Nicole stopped playing and turned to her girlfriend. Mariana wrapped her arms around the blonde's shoulders.

"What were you thinking about?" She asked curiously.

"What we were talking about earlier." Nicole answered with a smile. "I can't wait for it to happen."

"Me either." Mariana leaned down and connected their lips, Jesus snapped a picture on his phone and sent it to his sister. He knew that Mariana loved when little moments like this were captured in pictures.

Callie quietly got up and left the room, Jude watching her go.

After the couple parted Mariana looked around at her family, but noticed her sister was gone. She frowned slightly as she wondered what was wrong.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN~ Okay this chapter is really short and I apologize for that. Unfortunately I have not had time to write much these past few weeks, with school, work and other things to do. I hope to get back to my regular schedule soon, but I make no promises.**

 **Also, I'm still taking name suggestions, we have five or six more chapters before we begin to prepare for the baby, so I'll be taking name suggestions until the chapter before his birth.**

 **Enjoy! And again sorry for the shortness of this chapter, the next one will be longer.**

Later that night Mariana and Callie finally settled into their bedroom. Nicole had played a few more songs for them before her uncle came to pick her up. Mariana walked her out while Callie watched them through the window. They spoke quietly for a moment before sharing a smile. Nicole cupped Mariana's face gently with both hands and brought their lips together. Mariana kissed back with her hands on Nicole's hips. They stayed like long enough for Callie to wonder if they could breathe through their ears or something crazy like that and then parted with a final goodnight.

Mariana then stepped into the kitchen to tell her moms goodnight, her bright smile staying on her lips as she made her way to bed.

Callie quietly watched her little sister climb into bed, a frown firmly in place on her lips. She was dressed for bed, wearing a pair of shorts and a long sleeve tee with her hair in a messy bun, but she had no plans of sleeping yet. She was standing by the window, leaning against the ledge.

"Callie?" Mariana asked once the silence became to much for her. "Are you okay?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Callie's voice came out more hurt than she wanted and her sister immediately picked up on the tone.

"About Nikki?"

"Yes, about Nicole." Mariana racked her brain, trying to remember the last time she had actually spoken to Callie, not over text but an actually conversation, face to face or through a phone call. She came up empty.

"When was the last time we actually talked?"

"We talk all the time!"

"No," Mariana replied firmly, "we text all the time. When was the last time we called one another and had an actual conversation?" Callie stared blankly at the younger girl for a few moments, desperately trying to remember their last conversation.

"Sometime in September I think." Callie replied as she took a seat on her bed.

"Well, we didn't start dating until October, so I haven't really had the chance to tell you. It's not something I want to talk about over text."

"You should have told me." Callie glared at her sister, the hurt in her eyes apparent.

"I'm sorry, ok? But that isn't the only thing that's bothering you. What is it?"

"I don't think she is good enough for you." Callie forced herself to keep her voice steady and her gaze locked on her sister.

"What? How can you say that?" Mariana shrieked then immediately quieted down not wanting to disturb the rest of the house. She was met with silence as Callie looked at her hands. Mariana's eyes narrowed as understanding passed through her. "It's because she's pregnant." It wasn't a question, but Callie's eyes told her the answer was yes.

"You don't have to be with out of guilt, or sympathy. She is perfectly capable of taking care of herself and her baby. You don't have to be with her."

"I want to be with her. Did you think of that? Did you even consider the idea that you have the facts wrong? Don't interrupt!" Callie immediately fell silent under her sisters' harsh gaze. "You don't know anything about what she has been through. You have no clue. Unless you know the whole story you have no right to pass judgement. And you cannot tell me who I can and can't love. I love her and I love our son. Nothing you say will change that, so get used to it."

"How can you be so sure of her?" Callie asked skeptically. Love had never come easy to her.

"Because I trust her, and I trust us. I know it won't be easy," Mariana's voice softened from the angry whisper yell to a gentle whisper. "But it will be worth it. To see that baby boy for the first time, to feel him kick against his moms stomach, to deal with whoever throws hate our, everything that we go through will be worth it. All we want is to be a family." With that Mariana turned her lamp off and climbed into bed, turning her back to her older sister.

Callie had never heard her sister speak so passionately about anything before. There was a fire in her eyes, burning bright and defiant with every word she said. Callie felt the guilt seep into her mind as soon as the lights dimmed. Mariana was right, she didn't know the whole story. All she knew was that she came home to find some strange pregnant girl with her hands all over little sister. She might have over reacted and she felt bad about that, but she would never feel bad about watching out for her little sister. She would have done the same thing if Jude or Jesus had a pregnant girlfriend, well Jude wouldn't have a girlfriend anyway, but the same principle applies.

Right before she fell asleep, Callie vowed to find out what the full story was before she went back to school.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN~ I'm soooooo sorry about the delay on this chapter! Life is so crazy and unfortunately does interfere with my writing schedule. To make up for the extreme lateness, this chapter is twice as long as usual. Important stuff going on now.**

 **Also, still taking name suggestions! Don't be shy, leave a review!**

 **Enjoy!**

Saturday morning Callie made her way to the kitchen, making a beeline for the coffee pot. She seemed to be interrupting an important conversation as her moms and siblings fell silent as she entered. The brunette was the last one to come downstairs, probably because Mariana was still avoiding her since their conversation the other night.

"Good morning." Callie said as she took a seat next to Jude.

"Morning Callie," Stef said, "what are your plans for the day?" The blonde cop handed her oldest daughter a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs and bacon. Callie took both gladly.

"I'm not sure," she said, "I'll probably just hang around the house for a while. Maybe I'll see if Wyatt is in town."

"Okay. Mari, is Nicole coming over later?" Lena asked her youngest daughter. Mariana nodded and swallowed the food in her mouth before speaking.

"Yeah, we have something we want to talk to you guys about. And then we are going over to her house to talk to her aunt and uncle." Callie stared at her plate while her sister spoke, trying not to show how curious she was about her sister wanted to talk to their moms about.

"What do we need to talk about?" Nicole had let herself into the AdamsFoster house and made her way into the kitchen. She dropped a kiss on Mariana's cheek as she sat down beside her and stole a piece of bacon off her plate. Mariana smiled at her girlfriend, her hand automatically moving to rest on the blondes thigh.

"The thing we talked about the other night." Mariana answered her girlfriend.

"Witch thing?" Nicole asked. Mariana gave her look. "Oh, right that thing." Mariana rolled her eyes at her girlfriend who suddenly looked very nervous and gave her leg a reassuring squeeze.

Callie watched them interact with interest. They obviously cared for each other very much. Mariana's whole face lit up at the sight of Nicole who oozed with affection for the shorter Latina. They were so comfortable around one another. Mariana didn't seem to care that her girlfriend was with her while she still wore pajamas and her hair was in a messy bun. When they spoke to one another they completely ignored the others in the room. They were so at peace with one another, it made Callie ach for a love like that.

Nicole easily began to converse with her girlfriends family as Mariana continued to eat. Soon, Mariana finished eating and then left the room to take a shower after kissing her girlfriend. Nicole watched her walk out with smile and then her gaze shifted to Callie. She had picked up on the tension between the two sisters and knew she was inadvertently the cause. Callie met her gaze and quickly looked down.

"You don't like me, do you?" Nicole asked the older brunette. Callie sputtered for moment, looking to her mothers for help. Stef and Lena both looked down having already decided to let the girls work things out on their own.

"Um,"

"It's ok, really. I don't care what people think of me. But I know Mari is upset."

"Mariana is…"

"Sad that you don't agree with our relationship."

"That's not what I said." Callie defended herself, weakly.

"No, you just don't think I am good enough for her." Nicole stared down the older girl until she relented.

"No, I don't think you are good enough for her."

"Let me tell you a little secret: I'm not. I know perfectly well that I don't deserve her. I love her so much, and for some reason she loves me back. I honestly don't know why. How could she love me? A seventeen year old pregnant lesbian? How the hell did I get lucky enough to have her? I don't know." Nicole smiled slightly. "But I do know one thing: I am never letting her go. I was lucky enough to be given a chance with her, and I will always do my absolute best to keep her in my life."

"How did you get pregnant?" Jude asked after several long moments of silence. Both of his mothers looked sharply at him. "Sorry."

"It's ok, Jude. I got pregnant at a party before I left. One of my childhood friends got me drunk and the next thing I knew I was lying in a bed naked. It was the first time I had sex and I don't even remember it."

"I'm sorry." Callie spoke up finally. "I judge you before I knew you. I still don't know you that well, but I won't stand in the way anymore."

"Thank you," Mariana said as she stepped into the kitchen again, fully dressed with her hair and make-up done. "And I'm the lucky one." She said to her girlfriend while gently caressing her swollen belly and pressing a sweet kiss to her lips.

"Yes you are both lucky." Stef said after a long silent moment, staring at the younger couple. Lena rubbed her back with a smile but she was burning to know what the two girls needed to talk with them about. "But I believe we have something to discuss?"

"Right," Mariana gave Callie a pointed look and the older brunette made her way out of the kitchen, sitting just out of sight on the stairs. Jude and Jesus soon joined her silently.

Back in the kitchen, Nicole nervously gripped her girlfriends thigh. She was not looking forward to this conversation. She loved Lena and Stef, they were as close to a mother as she had.

"So…" Mariana began, "I'm not really sure how to start this."

"Do you remember when I said that Mari was quickly becoming my person?" Nicole asked the mothers.

"Of course we do, it was the day we caught you two making out in Mari's room." Stef answered chuckling as a blush covered both girls cheeks. On the stairs, Jude and Jesus held back a laugh.

"Right, well, now she is my person." Nicole wasn't really sure where she was going with this, and it was clear that Mari was confused too. Nicole took a deep breath before she began to speak again.

"It is not secret that my life is about to change drastically. Nothing will be the same once the baby is born. Thanks to Mari," Nicole smiled at her girlfriend," I won't have to deal with everything alone, but there is something that I would like to happen. Two things, actually."

"That we both would like to happen," Mariana interjected, grabbing her girlfriends hand. "When the baby is born, we will both be eighteen. I have already told Nikki that I love this baby as if he were my own, and I want to help raise him. So Nikki asked if I would adopt him." Mariana paused and waited for her mothers to say something. They had both been disturbingly quite throughout the time both she and Nicole had been speaking. "And I said yes."

Stef and Lena shared a surprised look, Stef slightly more alarmed.

"And when I don adopt him, before even, we want to get our own place."

"I thought you were joking when you said we didn't need to worry until they wanted to move in together." Stef whispered to her wife.

"You realize you will both still be in high school, right?" Lena asked, always the calmer of the two.

"Yes, we have been talking about it quite a bit recently. We have a plan." Nicole answered, squeezing Mariana's hand.

"And, uh, what is this plan?"

"My parents have been sending me checks every two weeks to help my aunt and uncle take care of me, but they both told me to put them in savings. After the baby is born, I'll be getting a part time job at a small local newspaper. I've already talked to them, I will work from 10-2 on weekdays during the summer, and then 5-8 during the school year at 12 dollars and hour. So we will have that, combined with my trust fund that my grandparents set up for me that I will have access to once I turn eighteen."

"I also have the money I made the past three summers saved up, plus allowance money that I have never spent. Then, I have the money from tutoring, which I will continue to do along with working at the bakery that Anna's parents owned after school and during the summer, the same hours and rate as Nikki."

"And what will you do with the baby while you are both at work and school?" Stef asked, though she was impressed that the two girls had thought so far ahead.

"Both of our bosses said that we could bring the baby to work anytime we needed to." Mariana answered her blonde mother.

"As for during school, my Aunt will hopefully be willing to watch him, if not then Anchor Beach does have a daycare." Nicole said.

Lena stared at the two girls for a long moment. She knew her daughter was going to adopt Nicole's baby whether she and Stef agreed with her or not, but she wasn't sure about them living together. They had obviously put quite a bit of thought into the idea, and Lena could see from their expressions that they were serious about it.

"Girls," Lena began, "I am proud of you for coming up with this idea and talking to us about it. You have both obviously put a great deal of thought into this. But I'm not sure what I think."

"We were hoping that after we talk to my aunt and uncle we could all sit down together and talk this through." Nicole said.

"Moms, I know you don't want to think about any of us leaving the nest, but if we don't do it now we will be delaying the inevitable. I have every intention of being with Nikki for the rest of my life, but if you don't want us to move in together yet, I will respect your wishes."

Stef stared at her youngest daughter in awe. Mariana had matured so much of the last few months. Gone was the slightly self-centered teenage girl and in her place was a loving young woman, who was completely devoted to the girl who sat beside and their son, though she still respected her parents.

"Why don't we wait until after we all talk together before we decide on anything."

Mariana and Nicole nodded eagerly, both of them knew that conversation could have gone much worse.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN~ So this chapter is a little short, but the next one will be longer. Hopefully I can find a schedule for posting again soon, hopefully on Saturdays since I will have some time to get ahead. Anyway, I'm thinking about four or five more chapters until the baby arrives, and then I have a new, more dramatic storyline that I hope you will enjoy. Nicole and Mariana will still be the main focus, but the family will be included more. I can't wait!**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter! Leave a review, and let me know!**

The conversation between the four adults and three teenagers went better than either Mari or Nikki expected. Although he was hesitant to give his consent, Nikki's uncle Martin eventually agreed to let the girls move in together. Amanda, Nikki's aunt, agreed right away and was rather impressed with the thought both of the girls had put into the idea.

Then came the hunt for the apartment. They didn't want anything huge. Two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, and living area was all he needed. There ended up being a vacancy in the same complex that Mike lived in, with everything the girls were looking for and a little extra space. Together, the couple had more than enough saved to cover the down payment of six months' rent and a security deposit and still had plenty left over. The apartment came furnished, with water, heat, electricity, and Wi-Fi included in the rent. The girls had loved the apartment, Stef and Lena loved that Mike would be close to watch over their daughters and grandbaby.

After the apartment had been chosen, the landlord said they could paint the interior however they would like. They did just that in the room they were turning into the nursery. The rest of the apartment already had a color scheme that they both enjoyed, but they wanted to change the blank walls of the second bedroom. With the help of both their families, they quickly had the bed and tables removed from the room and the walls painted a light green.

Today they were finally moving in, a month after they talked agreed to move in together, just in time for Christmas.

"Were does this box go?" Jesus asked as he walked through the door to his sister's new apartment carrying a medium sized box. Mariana turned away from Nicole who took the opportunity to jump up, as fast as her expanded belly allowed, and move about the room, intending to begin unloading boxes.

"Master bedroom," Mariana answered her brother before turning back to her girlfriend, "and you need to get off your feet."

"I'm fine babe, I'm just gonna get started on these boxes." Nicole said as she gestured to the boxes scattered around the small kitchen. Most of them were full of new pots and pans, plates, utensils, and other kitchen items that were gifts from various members of their families.

"Nikki, we had an agreement. You can start unpacking boxes after you rest for a few minutes."

"I've been resting for fifteen minutes!"

Jesus rolled his eyes at the couple bickering like they had been married for years and went to help with the last couple of boxes from the cars that were lined up along the street filled with their things. Two of the three vehicles had been unloaded and now at that was left was the boxes that the girls had packed separately with items from their old houses that they were not willing to part with.

Connor and Jude waved at him as he walked up, and then stood to help him with the final boxes.

"I can't believe Mariana is really moving out." Jude said to his older brother as the three of them walked up the stairs to the second floor.

"It's pretty crazy, huh buddy?" Jesus asked.

"I mean, I thought it would happen eventually, just not until after he was born." Jude answered with a slight smile.

"I know what you mean." Jesus said as they walked in the door to apartment 213.

"Those are the last boxes?" Asked a very annoyed looking Nicole who sat beside a smug Mariana.

"Yeah, you are all moved in." Jesus looked around at all the boxes spread around the apartment, glad that his job was done because he and Mike had already put everything together in the nursery and now it would be left to the girls to finish setting things up. Soon after the boys walked in, Stef and Lena came through the door with melancholy smiles on their faces. Their little girl was growing up and starting a family. It was surreal to them.

"You sure you didn't forget anything?" Stef asked as she walked over to the girls, pulling Lena along by their joined hands.

"I'm sure, mom. We got everything. Besides, it's not like I'll be more than ten minutes away." Mariana said. "And we have mine a Jesus's birthday party coming up just after New Year's."

"Yeah," Stef said, "but you won't be right down the hall anymore." Mariana stood up and hugged both of her mothers.

"You can come over whenever you want, just call first. We will defiantly stop by the house often." Nicole stood as well and hugged both of the older women.

"Thanks for everything Mrs. –"

"What did we tell you about that?" Lena asked with a stern expression though she was smiling.

"Right, sorry." Nicole smiled. "Thanks for everything Moms. We promise we won't be strangers."

"You better not be," Stef said, pointing a finger at them in warning. "Boys, come say goodbye to your sisters."

"See you at school sis," Jesus said hugging them both, "if I need a place to crash I'm totally coming here." He whispered in his sisters' ear. Mariana chuckled.

"Bye, guys. Can you still help me with my homework sometimes?"

"Of course, buddy. Call whenever you need us." Nicole answered Jude and hugged him tightly. He had become the little brother she always wanted.

After another round of hugs, the AdamsFoster family left the young couple alone to set up their apartment. Nicole took a look around the room filled with boxes and suddenly didn't want to touch a single one.

"C'mon, "she said, "we can start in our room." Mariana turned her gaze from the door to her girlfriend when she felt the other girl gently take her hand.

"Our room," she said, almost in disbelief, "Yeah, let's do it."


	12. Chapter 12

**AN~ So sorry for the wait on this chapter. I kind of lost my passion for writing for a little while, but I'm back now. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review!**

Mariana and Nicole quickly got used to living together. While they had had a few small arguments about little things, at the end of the day they absolutely loved being able to crawl into bed with one another. They spent their days after school and during the Christmas holidays putting together the nursery. Jesus and Jude were both regular visitors to the apartment, and enjoyed hanging out with the girls immensely. Nicole, they learned, was an amazing cook and more than happy to have the AdamsFoster family over for dinner.

Callie had been surprised to learn that her sister had already moved out by the time she returned home for Christmas with Brandon in tow. She was hoping for at least one night in their shared room, but Mariana had a new roommate. Brandon was happy to finally meet the girl his baby sister had fallen head over heels in love with.

Mariana and Nicole arrived at the AdamsFoster house early Christmas morning, presents in tow. They placed the gifts under the tree before making their way to the kitchen, where Stef and Lena were talking.

"Hey moms!" Mariana said as they walked in, quickly moving to hug her mothers with her girlfriend right behind her. The older ladies hugged both of the girls tightly, pressing kisses to their cheeks.

"Hello girls, how are you?" Lena's question was directed at Nicole; the curly haired brunettes had pressing against her bump.

"Great now that I don't have morning sickness all day." Nicole answered with a smile. Mariana nodded along with her. Nicole had told her how bad her morning sickness was before they moved in together, but she was grateful she missed the worst of it.

"How have you enjoyed living together?" Stef asked the young couple.

"It's pretty amazing, mom," Mariana answered, "I'm glad we were able to do this." Mariana was standing behind Nicole, the blonde sitting on a stool next to Lena. As the Latina continued talking with her moms, Nicole leaned back into her chest. Mariana wrapped her arms around the girl without thought, her hands automatically coming to rest on the baby bump. Stef smiled at the action.

Callie came into the kitchen quietly, smiling at her moms before she noticed her younger sister and her girlfriend. She frowned slightly when she took in their position, but chose not to comment. She was okay with their relationship now, though she was feeling slightly hurt because her sister moved out before she got home for college.

Brandon followed his sister into the kitchen, but smiled when he saw his younger sister.

"So, this must the Nicole I've heard so much about!" The masculine voice startled Nicole out of her near sleep state and she jumped up. Mariana give her a questioning look before taking in her startled expression and smiling.

"B!" Mariana cried as she moved to embrace her brother. Brandon hadn't been able to come home since they dropped him off at college. Brandon hugged his sister tightly to his chest.

Nicole turned and her stool and watched the siblings reunite with a smile. Brandon caught her eye over Mariana's shoulder and offered her a smile.

"It's great to see you Mariana!" Brandon said as he gently released his sister. Mariana moved to take Nicole's hand after she was set down but Brandon beat her to it, sweeping the pregnant teen into a bear hug. "And it's nice to finally meet you Nicole."

"Nice to meet you too!" Nicole's reply was somewhat muffled by Brandon's chest but they could all hear her laughing.

"Hey Callie." Mariana said as she turned to her older sister.

"Hey Mariana." Callie said the words with a smile which she kept on her face when Nicole wrapped an arm around Mariana and stood by her side. "Nicole, it's nice to see you. How've you been?"

"Pretty good," Nicole squeezed Mariana's waist gently, "now that the morning sickness has finally ebbed."

"That's good." Everyone could feel the tension in the room and shifted uncomfortably. Brandon decided to break the silence.

"So you guys are having a boy, any name ideas?" He asked and mentally gave himself a pat on the back when both girls visibly relaxed and retook their earlier position at the table.

"We have a few ideas, nothing set in stone though yet." Mariana answered.

"You could always name him after me." Brandon said and Mariana snorted. Brandon shot her a mock glare.

"Sorry, B, but I don't think so." Brandon pretended to be hurt by his sisters' words but he knew she would turn down the offers from their other brothers as well, so he didn't feel so bad.

Conversation flowed easily between the group as the moved through the day. Stef and Lena refused to let Nicole help with anything which annoyed her to no end until she and Brandon began to mess around with the piano in the living room. Brandon was happy to listen to her play and play along with her.

Mariana was ecstatic over how well Brandon and Nicole got along. She knew they would bond over the piano, but she hadn't expected him to be so welcoming. She hadn't expected it, but she wasn't surprised. Brandon could sometimes have a rough exterior, but everyone knew he had the biggest heart.

"They sound pretty good, huh?" Stef asked as she moved to stand next to her youngest daughter who was leaning against the doorway between the entrance and the living room.

"They do." Mariana replied, turning to smile at her blonde mother.

"You enjoy living with her?"

"Yeah," Mariana laughed slightly. "It was a little awkward for the first few nights, even argued over who got to sleep on which side of the bed. But we figured it out, and I'm really happy." Mariana turned her gaze to her girlfriend, a light filled her eyes, one that Stef had never seen in someone so young. It was the same she looked at Lena.

"I'm happy as long as you are, love." Stef pulled her daughter in for a hug. "And thanks for coming over today."

"Of course Mom, we wouldn't be anywhere else." Mariana held her mother a little tighter before releasing her and moving fully into the living room. Stef watched her move across the room to the piano and begin to talk to them about something. She didn't bother to listen to their discussion as she left the room.

Lena greeted her with a kiss when she came back into the kitchen, which Stef gladly returned.

"They good?" The curly haired woman asked.

"They're good."

"What was up with Callie today?" Nicole asked from the bed she and Mariana shared while she watched Mariana brush out her hair over the book she held in her hands.

"I'm not sure. I think she is mad that I didn't tell her when I moved out."

"Does she have to know every move you make?" Nicole asked, slightly annoyed with the older girls' behavior.

"No, but I guess I can see where she is coming from." Mariana climbed into bed beside the girl, curling into her side. Nicole ran her fingers through Mariana's hair with one hand, the other still holding her book.

"What do you mean?" Nicole had turned her head slightly so the words were said against the skin of Mariana's forehead.

"There have been a lot of things that happened to Callie that were out of her control, even after she was adopted. For a while, the only thing she found comfort in was not sleeping in a room by herself. I think she was looking forward to us having time to hang out and talk about our school years so far, which we still can, but it won't be in the middle of the night in my old bedroom. She wanted the comfort of sharing a room again, with a person who isn't a stranger to her. She and her roommate at college don't hand out much."

"Have you talked to her about it?"

"I tried to earlier today, but she shut me down. I know she'll tell me eventually, but at this right I'm pretty sure the baby is going to be here before she does." Nicole laughed slightly.

"Speaking of the baby, we do need to finalize the name. We can't call him baby forever."

"No we can't, but we can do that tomorrow. Right now I want to sleep." Mariana snuggled closer to her girlfriend who chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Good night Mari, I love you."

"I love you too, Nikki, good night."


	13. Chapter 13

**AN~ So this is the last chapter before the baby arrives, I'm hoping it will be fairly long because I have made everyone wait so long for updates. Thanks for sticking with me, and I apologize for the delay. Please leave a review and enjoy!**

As January began, Nicole started to feel little flutters in stomach. They weren't strong enough for Marina to feel yet, but they got stronger each day. She often found herself rubbing her belly gently, smiling when she felt the soft kicks of her son. She couldn't wait for Mariana to feel him moving around. The feeling brought a smile to her face each time.

Near the end of January, Nicole got her wish. They were both sleeping peacefully in bed around midnight. Mariana had one arm draped over her girlfriend from behind, their hands clasped together. Suddenly Nicole shot awake with a gasp, her hand flying to her stomach.

"Nikki? What is it? What's wrong?" Mariana asked slightly panicked. Nicole didn't say anything, just picked up her hand and placed it on her belly. "What is that?" Mariana asked in wonder as she felt the flutter against her skin.

"That," Nicole began, turning her head to face Mariana with a bright smile, "is our baby boy saying hello."

"He's kicking?"

"Yes he is."

"Wow." Nicole laughed slightly at the word and both girls smiled even brighter when they the movement against their hands in response to the noise.

"Two more months." Nicole said as they settled back down into bed, spooning once again. "Two months until he is here." Mariana placed a light kiss on her exposed shoulder.

"I can't wait." Nicole nodded her agreement before they both drifted back to sleep.

Everyone was excited to meet the baby. Although it had taken a little bit of time, most of the student body at Anchor Beach had accepted them as a couple and soon-to-be mothers. Once that was out of the way, Nicole finally started to make more friends, especially with the people in her theatre class. She shared several classes with most of them, and once they had finally started to hang out, they all became fast friends. Nicole was looking forward to participating in the school play next year, she had wanted to this year, but she knew her pregnancy would be a problem. She was happy though, she finally had most of the things she dreamed about: a loving partner, a strong group of friends, she got along with Mariana's family, and her son was almost here.

"Do you know what his name will be?" Amber, Nicole's closest friend from the theatre group, asked as she, Nicole, Jon and Troy sat in the blonde's apartment, working on a project for the class. They had all claimed spots in the living room, giving the pregnant blonde the couch.

"Yeah, but we want to keep it under wraps until he is born." Nicole answered the girl who frowned at the answer.

"But we wanna know." Jon whined in a very unmanly way, not that he really cared anyway.

"So does everyone else, including both of our families." Nicole rolled her eyes. "Sorry you have to wait until he is born, just like everyone else."

"Mariana knows." Troy said from his spot leaning against the couch.

"Of course she does, she helped pick his name out."

"Can you give us a hint?" Amber asked with a hopeful glint in her eyes. Nicole considered it for a moment before deciding to give them the same answer she had given Stef and Lena last week.

"Alright, his initials are D.A.C." Nicole said, "I'm not giving any more information than that. You only have to wait another month or so." She was due on April 14th, and it was currently March 3rd.

"His nursery looks great." Troy said with a smile. They had each brought a plush animal to give to the baby, Nicole agreed to tell them which one was his favorite once he was old enough to prefer one over the others. Amber, Troy and Jon had gotten him a lion, monkey, and elephant respectively.

"All we need is him now." Nicole rubbed her belly, smiling when the baby kicked against her hand.

"What time is Mariana getting home?" Jon asked moving to the kitchen to get a drink. Nicole glanced at her phone to check the time.

"Any minute now." She answered. Her hand clasped the necklace Mariana had given her for Valentine's Day.

As if on cue, Mariana opened the door and stepped into the apartment, setting her keys and bag down on the small table next to the door. Everyone waved from their respective seats which Mariana returned with a chuckle. She made her way to the couch where she picked up her girlfriends' feet and sat down, placing them in her lap after giving her a kiss in greeting.

"You smell like bread." Nicole said as she shifted so she was leaning against Mariana with her feet hanging over the other end of the couch.

"No surprise there," Mariana chuckled, "how's homework going?"

"Theatre homework is going great, pre-Cal not so much." Amber handed her open notebook to Mariana with a frown. Mariana held the notebook with one hand, the other was busy being played with Nicole.

"Un-square the whole problem and then divide by two." Mariana showed Amber how to finish the problem and then proceeded to help the group as a whole, gesturing with one hand since Nicole was still playing with hers when she wasn't writing something down in the notebook propped against her legs.

They worked together in silence for a while before a knock on the door interrupted them. Jon moved to answer the door since the owners of the apartment were stuck helping Troy with a problem.

"Hello," a girl said once he opened the door, "I'm looking for Nicole Cooper?" Jon yelled her name over his shoulder.

"Coming," she yelled back, "babe, help me up." Mariana gently pushed her girlfriend to her feet and made sure she was steady before returning to her work. She gasped slightly when she saw who was at the door.

"Megan?" She asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Um, your aunt told me I could find you here." She smiled nervously, "can I come in?" Nicole nodded and moved to allow her inside. Megan's eyes grew slightly as she took in her rounded stomach.

"Who was it honey?" Mariana asked as her girlfriend came back into the room. Nicole gestured for their friends to leave so they began to pack up their things. Mariana walked them to the door, promising to tell them what was going on later.

Megan had claimed a seat on the couch after Mariana had gotten up and had hoped Nicole would sit beside her. Nicole didn't; instead she sat down in the arm chair adjacent to the couch.

"I don't believe I caught your name," Mariana said as she perched on the arm of the chair Nicole was sitting in, one hand resting on the blondes' knee.

"Oh, sorry," She paused to see if Nicole would introduce her, "I'm Megan."

Mariana turned her gaze to Nicole, surprise and understanding in her eyes. Nicole gave a slight nod to indicate that it was the person Mariana thought it was.

"Mari, could you give us a moment, please?" Nicole hated to ask her girlfriend to leave, but she needed to talk to Megan alone.

"Yell if you need me?"

"Promise." Mariana smiled at the blonde and leaned down to press their lips together, Nicole's hand moving to her waist for just a moment, before releasing her and leaving the room. Nicole waited until she heard the sound of their bedroom door closing to speak.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to apologize." Megan looked down at her hands.

"Apologize? For what? For leaving at a party by myself? For dragging me there in the first place? For letting me have a drunken one-night stand? For not being there when I left?" Nicole fought to keep her voice low, knowing Mariana would come into the room the second she heard yelling. There was a long moment of silence.

"For all of it. I'm sorry. I was a terrible friend, for taking you there, for leaving you. I couldn't face you when you left. I was, am, so ashamed. Tell me that it's not my fault." Megan gestured to Nicole's swollen stomach. Nicole placed a hand on her baby protectively.

"Of course, it isn't your fault. You weren't the one who had sex with guy, which I don't even remember by the way, and then had to leave town. This isn't even why my parents kicked me out."

"It's not?"

"Nope." Megan looked completely surprised at that.

"Then why?"

"I'm a lesbian. Did you not see me kiss another girl not even ten minutes ago?"

"No, I mean, yes I saw but just because you kiss someone doesn't mean you are with them." Nicole rolled her eyes.

"Well, I am with her. Have been for almost as long as I've lived here." There was another long moment of silence. Nicole didn't understand why this girl had come all this way, just to say two little words. And she thought it was her fault? Nicole sighed. "In any case, you're forgiven."

"I am?" Megan looked hopeful.

"Yeah, you are. That party sucked, really sucked," they both chuckled, "but I wouldn't give up the life I have now for anything. So yes you are forgiven for dragging me to that stupid party, because now I have the family I have always wanted."

Megan left thirty minutes later, after a round of proper introductions and a quick look at the nursery. Nicole walked her out and hugged her goodbye before closing and locking the door.

"Tired honey?" Mariana asked from her spot leaning against the wall leading to the short hall that lead to their room. Nicole nodded as she made her way to her girlfriend.

"Exhausted." Nicole didn't even stop on her way, just snagged Mariana's outstretched hand and pulled her along behind her. Mariana chuckled and followed willingly.

As they climbed into bed, Mariana reached over to brush the hair out of Nicole's eyes.

"This is the family I've always wanted too." Nicole smiled sleepily and pressed their lips together. They cuddle close to one another and drifted off to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN~ This is it! Please leave a review!**

 **Enjoy!**

Mariana was sleeping peacefully in the bed she shared with Nicole. Was being the operative word. Her sleep was suddenly interrupted by a rough shaking of her shoulder.

"Mari wake up! It's time!" Nicole continued to shake her girlfriend's shoulder when a contraction hit her. She grits her teeth against the pain but couldn't keep a small grunt from escaping. Mariana shot up at the noise.

"It's time?" Nicole nodded, rubbing her stomach gently. Mariana jumped out of bed, quickly throwing a pair of sweat pants on over the tiny shorts she had worn to bed and checking the time. "How far apart are they?" She asked.

"I'm not sure, more than five minutes." Mariana nodded and began to gather their hospital bags.

"I'm going to put these in the car and then I'll be back to help you down, okay?" Nicole nodded but gestured for Mariana to come closer. She quickly pulled her in for a kiss once she was close enough.

"We are about to be mothers." She said, her voice laced with wonder and a little bit of fear.

"We are." Mariana kissed her again, "and I can't wait."

The ride to the hospital was thankfully short, Mariana lucky enough to hit every green light without speeding too much. They were quickly set up in a room, Mariana helped Nicole change before stepping out of the room to call everyone. She called her old house first.

"Hello?" Her mom's sleepy voice filtered through the speaker.

"Mom, it's me."

"Is something wrong, love? It's 4:30 in the morning."

"Yeah I know, and nothing's wrong I just wanted to let you know that it's time."

"Time?" Stef asked. Mariana could practically see the confused expression on her face.

"Yes Mom, it's time." Mariana swore she heard the lightbulb turn in her mothers' mind.

"Lena, wake up! It's time!" Mariana laughed slightly at the excitement in her mother's voice. "Where are you guys?" Mariana told them what hospital and room number they were in. "We will be there soon." Stef wished them luck and then hung up the phone. After debating with herself for a few minutes she decided to hold off on calling their friends until at least after seven. Instead she quickly called Nicole's aunt who said they would be there as soon as the dropped Lance of at school.

After making the calls, Mariana headed back to the room where her girlfriend was currently attempting to get some more sleep.

"I need to get all the sleep I can, and you too. We are in for a long day." Mariana chuckled.

"Yes we are." Nicole moved over on the small bed and patted the space beside her invitingly. Mariana climber onto the bed with her, coming her fingers through her hair with one hand, the other clasped in between both of her girlfriends' hands.

It ended up taking close to an hour before Stef and Lena to get there with Jude and Jesus. They all made their way into the room. Mariana pointed to Nicole to indicate that she was asleep, her body tensing when a contraction hit, and that they should keep their voices low.

"Are you ready?" Jesus whispered to his twin as she made her way to the chair that sat beside the bed.

"Yes, no, I don't know." Everyone chuckled, "I'm too nervous to decide."

"I'm sure you will be a great mom, both of you." Stef added as an afterthought. She honestly never thought she would be a grandmother before Mariana finished high school, and to a baby that wasn't one of her kids by blood, but if living with Lena, living the life they had chosen, taught her anything, it was to expect the unexpected, and blood didn't really matter.

Time passed quickly for the family who sat waiting in the hospital. Calls were made to the school and work places of everyone, informing their superiors that they would not be there today.

Finally, at 4 p.m., it was time to push. Stef, Lena, and the boys were quickly ushered into the waiting room while Mariana threw a hospital gown on over her clothes, she had changed while Nicole was sleeping, and quickly made her way back to Nicole's bedside.

"Alright Nicole, you need to push." The doctor instructed gently from between Nicole's legs. Nicole grit her teeth and took a deep breath before pushing with all her might.

"You're doing great, baby. He's almost here." Mariana kept the mantra up all throughout the process, from the first push to the last, occasionally punctuating her words with little kisses to Nicole's forehead.

Nicole screamed in pain as the doctor moved her hands to get a firm hold on the baby.

"One more big push, Nicole. You can do this. On three okay? One." Nicole took a deep breath a squeezed Mariana's hand to the point the Latina was sure she was cutting off circulation. "Two." Mariana held her breath. "Three." With one final, exhausting push Nicole collapsed onto the bed just as a baby's cries pierced the air.

"You did it!" Mariana whispered joyously to her girlfriend. Nicole smiled tiredly before holding her arms out to take the baby from the nurse moving towards them.

"Hi," she whispered to the boy in her arms, Mariana had one arm underneath Nicole's own, gently running her fingers down his face. "Hi, Donovan, I'm your Mommy."

"And I'm your Momma." Mariana spoke in the same gentle tone as Nicole. "And we love you so much," she leaned down to place a kiss on her son's tiny forehead. "And I love you." She turned to her girlfriend and kissed her gently on the lips before resting their heads together as they both stared at their baby boy.

At 4:15 p.m. on Friday April 15, 2016 Donovan Adam Cooper was born.


	15. Chapter 15

**AN~ So this chapter ventures a little bit into M territory. I have tried to write scences like that, but I don't really have a talent for it so I won't make you suffer through a horrible job of that. Also, I fixed the formatting on chapter 13 so it should be readable. Thank you to baby Cyclopes for letting me know something was wrong.**

 **Leave a review and let me know what you think!**

 **Enjoy!**

Mariana was woken up by the now familiar sound of her son crying. Nicole had gotten up the last time, so she was still sleeping. Mariana glanced at the clock after putting her glasses on and saw that it was just past three in the morning. She quietly got out of bed and moved silently down the hall to the nursery. She leaned over the crib with a smile.

"Hey there little man," she cooed gently as she moved to the changing table. "Need a new diaper huh?" Donovan gurgled at her, happily sucking on his fist now that one of his moms had him. Mariana changed his diaper with the practice ease of someone who had done it a thousand times, even though she was probably closer to hundreds in real life. Then she picked him and began to walk around the room, swaying her body gently from side to side and humming in his ear. Donovan made a few noises of content before he settled back into sleep. Mariana spent a few more minutes walking with him before laying him down gently in the crib.

She couldn't go back to bed yet, even though she longed to snuggle up with Nicole for a few more hours, not when she had something she needed to figure out.

If she was being honest, she was scared to death. The whole thing, being a mom, had been something she had been thinking about since she found out Nicole was pregnant, before they started dating. For most of the pregnancy she was able to force the fear and doubt out of her mind, kept herself wrapped up in the excitement and love. But now that she was here, staring at her son in the dim moonlight coming through the window, every doubt came rushing back.

What if she wasn't good enough? What if she treated him wrong? What if she didn't love him? What if he could never grow to love her? What if she and Nicole started having problems? What if they broke up and she never saw him again? What if—

"Stop that."

The voice startled her, making Mariana jump slightly and turn towards the door. Nicole was standing there, arms crossed, leaning against the frame in her pajamas. The small shorts clung to her hips, her tank top clung to her thin frame. Mariana quickly turned back towards the baby.

"Stop what?" She asked, her voice coming out harsher than she intended. For a moment she wondered if she had been talking about her fears without realizing it.

"Whatever is making you so tense." Nicole had yet to move from her place against the doorframe, she simply stared at her girlfriend's back.

"I'm not tense." Mariana went with denial rather than admitting she was afraid. "I'm fine."

"Right."

The couple stood in silence, neither of them daring to move just yet. Mariana's fears kept circling in her mind, her whole body tensed without her knowing. Nicole noticed instantly. She watched the muscles flex and relax, watched her clench her fists and her shoulders shrug with deep breaths. Nicole ached to know what was on her mind. She had a vague idea that it was the same things that had been on repeat in her brain since her first doctor's appointment. It could be something different, but the way Mariana looked at Donovan gave Nicole a little insight as to what she was thinking.

"I'm scared, too." Nicole's voice was so soft Mariana was sure she had imagined it. "I've never been this scared in my life." Mariana slowly turned around to meet her girlfriend's gaze. Nicole hadn't moved from her spot but her intense gaze gripped Mariana as well as a hand on her arm would have.

"You are?"

"Of course I am." Nicole finally moved and stepped into the room, coming to stand next to the crib. Her gaze found her sleeping son as her hand reached for Mariana. "I have been for a while. It was easy to ignore before he was actually here, when he was just in my stomach. But as it started getting closer, feeling him kick, finishing the nursery, it all seemed so surreal." Her gaze stayed firmly on the sleeping baby boy. "All I've ever wanted was to be a mom, a better one than my mom was to me. I wanted to be there for my kids, to love them, and support them no matter what." She smiled slightly. "I just never thought I would be doing that before I was twenty." Mariana chuckled softly and squeezed the hand clasped in her own. "But I'm still scared."

"I'm afraid I won't be enough, for either of you." Mariana admitted softly, her gaze flickering between to the two loves of her life. Nicole's first instinct was to say something along the lines of 'Don't be ridiculous' but she thought that may make things worse.

"Why?" Was what she said instead tearing her gaze from her son to look at the Latina.

"I don't know." Mariana supposed it was illogical, but she felt that way nevertheless. Nicole waited to say anything, choosing her wording carefully.

"Why don't we get over our fears together? Right now, I have no intention of leaving or keeping you from Donovan. I don't see that changing any time soon, I don't want that to change any time soon. Right now, at this moment in time, you are more than enough for the both of us. I love you." Nicole paused to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Mariana's year. "Ok? I love you, Mari."

"I love you, too." Mariana glanced at their son, "both of you." They left the room quietly, hands joined together.

As they approached their bedroom Mariana stopped and pulled Nicole so that she was standing in front of her, the blonde looking down into brown eyes. Mariana's eyes always told everything she was feeling, and Nicole could read them better than anyone. Tonight they were filled with three things: fear, love, and one that Nicole couldn't identify.

"Mari?" She asked softly but was kept from saying more by soft lips pressing against her own. Mariana's arms encircled the blonde's neck, tangling in her hair. Nicole pulled her closer by wrapping her own arms around Mariana's waist, her left hand snaking underneath the Latina's shirt to gently stroke the soft skin of her back. Nicole easily granted permission when she felt Mariana sweep her tongue along her lips. When they broke apart, breathless, Nicole understood what the third emotion was and felt her own desire growing.

"Let's go to bed." Mariana gently pulled Nicole backwards into their bedroom, the blonde kicking the door closed behind them, and kept moving until her knees hit the bed. They fell, Nicole bracing herself on her arms as she hovered over the other girl.

"Are you sure?" Nicole asked. She wanted this. God, she wanted it so much it was killing her. They had waited for so long.

"I'm sure." Mariana pulled the blonde down on top of her a kissed her with all the passion and love she felt.

Slowly, clothes were discarded, spread to the far corners of the room until they were skin to skin. Their bodies tangled together as the brought each other higher and higher, gasping between kisses and moans. As the finally came down from their high, a good while later, their sweaty bodies tangled together once more and they drifted off to sleep, fears forgotten for at least one night.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN~ Hello all, this will be a pretty fluffy chapter, just a filler for the next set. At the moment, this story will continue until Chapter Thirty (At some point I will actually name the chapters) and there will be a sequel after that, so stay tuned.**

Enjoy!

"Well it's about time you showed up!" Mariana chuckled at her blonde mothers' words. She was just raising her hand to knock on the door when it was abruptly opened and she was met with both of her mother's amused faces.

"Since when do you knock?" Lena asked in the same teasing tone Stef had used.

"Well, I always have," Nicole replied, Donovan rested contently in her arms while Mariana held the diaper bag, "so I told her too." Lena and Stef shared a smile before gesturing for the girls to come inside.

"Well stop that. You guys are always welcome here, especially when you bring little man here." As soon as Nicole stepped through the door, Donovan was taken out of her arms to be held by his two adoring grandmas. Lena claimed him first, shooting a triumphant smirk at her wife before she made her way into the living room. Stef rolled her eyes as she hugged both of the girls before moving to sit next to her wife.

Nicole grabbed Mariana around the waist and pulled her close as they both watched the older couple play with the baby. Lena and Stef, Grams and Grandma respectively, were both making absolute fools of themselves while Donovan giggled and smiled at them.

"Well we know what they will be doing for the next hour." Nicole said softly in her girlfriend's ear while pressing a kiss against the side of her head.

"Yes we do," Mariana turned her head to receive a gentle kiss on the lips from the blonde holding her. "Let's go to the kitchen, that's probably where the boys are." The younger couple quietly left the older, hands joined as they made their way through the house. Laughter drifted from the living room as they left, bringing a smile to both of their faces.

"Hey guys." Jesus gave both of them a cheerful smile as they came into the kitchen. Lunch was already set, the table filled with all the fixings for BLTs. Jude hugged them both before returning to his seat.

"Where's Donovan?" The youngest AdamsFoster asked when he realized neither of the girls were holding the baby.

"With Moms in the living room. Eventually they will make it in here." Mariana answered with a laugh as she and her girlfriend took their seats. Nicole's left hand made its way to Mariana's right thigh under the table. "Where are Callie and Brandon?"

"Right here," Callie said as the oldest AdamsFoster kids walked into the room. "We stopped in to say hi to Donovan."

"You have a kid and suddenly you are chopped liver." Nicole whispered to Mariana though Jude heard as well if his snort was anything to go by.

The teenagers began to talk animatedly about anything and everything going in their lives. Around thirty minutes later, Stef and Lena made their way into the kitchen with Donovan who was promptly placed in Mariana's arms after screaming when Jesus asked to hold. Everyone else laughed.

"He's hungry, Jesus, he doesn't hate you." Mariana assured her brother, holding her right hand out to Nicole, waiting for the bottle to be placed in her hand. "Would you like to feed him?" Jesus nodded hesitantly and gently took his nephew in his arms, making sure he supported his head and grabbed the bottle Nicole held out for him.

"See, he likes you." Nicole said in a singsong voice as she watched her son happily eat in his uncle's arms. Jesus didn't say anything, but no one could miss the smile on his face.

The silence was soon interrupted by a loud crack of thunder. Donovan began to wail at the noise and was promptly placed in Nicole's arms.

"Feeding I can do, crying not so much." Jesus moved away as Nicole comforted her son. Mariana laughed at her brother and began to fix a plate for both her and Nicole.

"So, everything's good?" Callie asked her sister in a whisper as she sat back down after getting a drink.

"Yeah, Donovan is sleeping through the night. Nicole and I have pretty much got our schedules figured out and both of our bosses are great and totally understand when we need to bring Donovan in. It's been good." Mariana smiled at her sister. "I know you are still worried about us, but I promise things are great."

Callie hated that she still doubted her sisters' relationship, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want to keep doubting Nicole or her love for Mariana. Hell, she could see it, plain as day, every time the blonde looked at Mariana. And that look was returned tenfold by Mariana. She vowed to get over herself as soon as possible.

Donovan quieted down quickly, making himself comfortable in his mama's arms before being handed to Mariana so Nicole could eat. He settled against Mariana's shoulder and drifted off to sleep. Stef and Lena watched the wordless exchange with a smile on their lips. Mariana was gently rocking her body back and forth as she chatted with her siblings and girlfriend, never faltering in her movements. She was a great mom. Nicole too, the blonde looked so natural with a Donovan in her arms. Although the older women knew the transition couldn't have been easy, the two girls before them made it seem like it was.

Before long the group moved to the living room, not talking about anything in particular. Donovan was happily playing all three of his uncles who had him on the floor, tickling his tummy or feet and encouraging him to roll over on his own, he could almost get there.

Nicole was content to sit with Mariana cuddled into her side, both of them watching their son and his uncles. Callie shared the couch with them, watching them interact. They seemed totally at ease with one another. Nicole's thumb stroked a thin line of skin that had been made visible when Mariana's shirt pulled up slightly. It was an automatic motion, something that Callie though Nicole probably did often.

She didn't really like to think about her younger sister sharing a bed with anyone, but she had to admit that Nicole most likely picked up the habit when they were settling down for the night. In their bed, in their apartment, with their son asleep down the hall.

It suddenly struck her that her little sister wasn't so little anymore. She was already a devoted partner and mother, and she still had a year of high school left. The realization made something in her mind click.

"Can I talk to you Nicole?" The words were out before she could stop them. Nicole caught her gaze and nodded.

"Sure, let me up love." Mariana grudgingly moved her weight off of her girlfriend, aiming a playful glare at her sister.

"Thanks for stealing my pillow." Callie rolled her eyes.

"You can have her back in a little while." Nicole glanced at Mariana before following the older AdamsFoster out of the room and into the kitchen.

"So what's up?" Nicole sat at her usual spot along the table, Callie claimed the seat across from her.

"I…want to apologize to you."

"Huh?" Callie, as far as Nicole knew, had nothing to apologize for. Since their first conversation she had been polite, a little distant, but never unkind to her, Mariana or Donovan. "Why?"

"I've been doubting you, your relationship with my sister. I was wrong. You clearly love her more than anything, and she returns that. I just have a hard time letting go." Nicole chose to temporarily ignore the doubt.

"What can't you let go of?" Her eyes held concern for the taller brunette.

"I don't let people in easily, none of us do. It probably comes from being a foster kid. We don't trust people, or at least don't admit that we do. And we never get attached." She paused for a minute. "It took me and Mariana a long time to trust each other. She trusts more easily that I do, she wasn't a foster kid for as long. And I've seen that willingness to trust break her so many times. I couldn't bear to see that again."

"I won't break her Callie." Nicole finally began to understand Callie. Callie still had her foster kid walls up, but now they extended to include her family, the one she had thought she would never have. If Mariana's heart was broken again, it would break Callie's too. "I can promise you that."

"I know you won't, but I still felt like I should have apologized."

"Apology accepted. Maybe now we can be friends?" Nicole got up and rounded the table, pulling the other girl into a hug before she could protest.

"Friends."

Nicole and Callie left the kitchen, Nicole reclaiming her spot as Mari's pillow while Callie moved to spend some quality time with her nephew.

"What was that about?" Mariana asked as Nicole pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"We're friends now." Nicole replied inclining her head once Mari looked at her to indicate that she would explain more later. Mariana nodded and leaned up to press their lips together gently before settling back against her and drifting off, the sounds of her family in one ear and Nicole's heartbeat in the other lulling her to the land of dreams.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN~ SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! I ended up being really busy for a while and then my WIFI kept getting struck by lightning. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience.**

 **Enjoy!**

Nicole opened her eyes when a shadow fell over, blocking the sun she had been trying to soak up for the last hour or so. Blue eyes met brown and she smiled at her girlfriend, sitting up and removing her sunglasses.

"You're going to get sunburned." Mariana said as she took a seat on the towel that was lain out next to Nicole. Nicole's aunt had claimed she wanted so quality time with her grandson and had whisked him away until the next morning. Nicole and Mariana took the opportunity to spend some time at the beach with their friends. Mariana had just returned from the water where Amber, Jon and Troy were splashing around.

"I have never been sunburned." Nicole replied with a wink at the girlfriend. Mariana rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want some sunscreen?" The question was innocent enough but the way one of Mariana's eyebrows lifted just a bit and her slightly darker eyes told Nicole that she would very much enjoy rubbing the sunblock on Nicole's body. A shiver went down her spine at the thought.

"As tempting as that is," Nicole leaned over to whisper in Mariana's ear, "we both know what would happen after." She pulled back after placing a sweet kiss against her love's lips.

"You are right." Nicole chuckled at Mariana's blunt admission but felt a little thrill at the fact that Mariana craved her in that way.

"What's up guys?" Jon walked up to the couple and plopped down in the sand, shaking the water out of his hair. "Sorry." He said when he saw them wiping their arms off, though his smile told the girls he had done that on purpose.

"Not much Jon. Done swimming?" Nicole had been the only member of their circle of friends to not go in the water. She much preferred laying on her towel, tanning, and take every opportunity to watch the water roll down her girlfriend's toned body.

"Yeah, for now at least. I have to head home for dinner pretty soon. Don't you guys have to be at your moms' place soon." He reached for his own towel to actually dry his hair.

"Yeah, but we aren't in much of a hurry." Mariana answered before laying back on her towel taking the opportunity to soak up the sun before the group left the beach. Jon and Nicole continued to talk about nothing in particular, Mariana noticed they kept circling crazy Harry Potter theories and the merits of the latest Captain America movie. During a lull in the conversation Nicole glanced at Mariana out of the corner of her eye. She drank in the sight of Mari's tanned skin, a stark contrast to her white bikini and the small drops of the water covering her body. Her wet hair was wavy, fanned out behind her. Mariana caught Nicole looking and smiled at her, chuckling quietly when Nicole blushed.

Soon it was time to head to the AdamsFoster house for dinner. Nicole and Mariana slipped into jean shorts and tank tops to cover their bikini clad forms and made the short drive to the house.

Stef and Lena met them in the kitchen, giving them both warm hugs and ushering them to sit at the table. They spent a few minutes talking before Nicole was called into the living room by Brandon, who wanted to see if she could play some song on the piano. The two had bonded of their shared musical talent, something Mariana was eternally grateful for.

"So how've you been sweets?" Stef asked her daughter after Nicole left the room.

"Good, I've been good. It's still a little weird sometimes to think that I have a family of my own, but I'm adjusting." Mariana laughed slightly as she spoke. In all honesty, it was extremely weird to think about the fact that she was just barely 18 and had a family of her own. It was unexpected and sometimes a little difficult to grasp, but she loved every second of it.

"Good. And Donovan?"

"A perfect little angle of course." Mariana smiled. "Well not all the time, but I guess you will think he is perfect no matter what, just like we do."

"You are absolutely right." Mother and daughter laughed and walked to the living room together, Lena trailing behind them with a fond smile.

Brandon and Nicole were sitting close together on the piano bench, playing a song that Mariana recognized but couldn't place. She thought she had heard it maybe once before. The sound of the piano was interrupted by a ringing phone. Nicole apologized to Brandon and pulled the phone out of her pocket. She motioned for Brandon to continue as she brought the offending object to her ear.

"WHAT!" Nicole's voice was sharp, angry and cut through the peaceful atmosphere in the room. Stef and Lena shared a concerned look while Mariana tried in vain to do the same with Nicole who had her eyes closed, her face scrunched up in anger. "You made it very clear that you never wanted to see me again."

Nicole rose from the bench and stormed into the kitchen, Mariana right behind her.

"Don't worry. Stay in here."

"Of course I wanted to see you again, you are my –"

"Don't even try that." Nicole rolled her eyes. "You lost the right to call me that over a year ago." She paced the kitchen angrily while Mariana sat at the table.

"I just want to talk." Nicole's mother tried in vain to get her daughter to calm down enough for her say her piece.

"Really? Now you want to talk?" Sensing that Nicole was about to start a screaming match with her mother over the phone, Mariana jumped up and rushed to her side. She gently took Nicole's hand and reached for her phone.

"Hi, Mrs. Cooper?" Mari asked once her girlfriend had relinquished her phone. "Yes, this is Mariana AdamsFoster. Nicole is really upset right now and I think it would be best if you called back some other time." Nicole moved away from her girlfriend as sat on the nook in the corner of the room.

"Is she alright?" The concerned voice on the other end of the line surprised Mariana.

"She's fine, just wait for her to call you okay? She'll call when she's ready to talk." With that Mariana hung up the phone and moved to her girlfriend. Nicole sat with her head in her hands. Mariana rubbed her back gently, waiting for her to speak.

"Today was so perfect until she called." Nicole sighed and moved to lean against her girlfriend who wrapped both arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Why now?"

Mariana didn't have answer for her. "Hopefully she won't call again, you can reach out to her this time. But only if you're ready to." Nicole nodded and nuzzled closer to Mariana who held her tight. "I love you." The Latina whispered the words against blonde hair and felt her love's lips stretch into a smile against her neck. Nicole placed a kiss there before repeating the sentiment.

By unspoken agreement they got up to head back into the living room. All of the family gave them curious looks as they both returned to their previous seats but no one mentioned anything. Conversations picked back up and music began to filter through the room softly.

Finally, much later, Nicole and Mariana made it into their apartment. They had eaten at their moms' house so they decided to curl up on the couch and watch a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory before heading to bed. Mariana went to take a quick shower and wash the salt water out of her hair. Nicole took the opportunity to change into so comfy sleep pants and loose t-shirt. Soon, Mariana entered the living room in her own pajamas, shorts and t-shirt, and cuddled up with Nicole on the couch. Nicole sat leaning against the arm and Mariana cuddled into her side, throwing one arm across her waist and slipping her hand under the fabric of Nicole's shirt.

After a while, Mariana lifted her head to kiss Nicole. One kiss turned to two, two to three and before they knew it they were making their way to their bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes behind them. Nothing else was said until much later when sleepy proclamations of love where whispered against skin and they both drifted off to sleep, spent and happy in each other's arms.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN~ Hoping to get at least two chapters up tonight, I'm doing my best guys. Mostly fluff in this one. Drama will start when school starts.**

 **Enjoy!**

"This is super weird." Jesus walked up to the table his sister and her girlfriend had claimed as their own, Donovan happily playing with his feet in the stroller in between them. They were both silently filling out the paperwork that registered them in the senior class of 2017. "Moms normally do this." The Latino gestured to the other side of the gym where Stef sat with Jude, filling out the same stack of paperwork. Lena was meandering around the room, making small talk with parents and students about the upcoming school year.

"We can't be kids forever." Nicole said without looking up. After they finished this, they had to fill out the paperwork to put Donovan in day care for the school year. She wanted to get it done quickly so they could enjoy their monthly family movie night, the first monthly family movie night in fact.

"I know, but still. The next thing you know we'll be moving out and starting families." Both girls looked up at him with matching glares. "What?" The couple shared a look before shaking their heads and turning back to the papers in front of them. Mariana finished hers first, after Jesus finally shut up, and started on the paperwork for Donovan. Nicole took over for her when she finished.

Within an hour of arriving, Mariana and Nicole were walking out of the gym with the AdamsFoster family behind them, except for Lena who had to stay until registration ended. Nicole had just looked up from Donovan who was babbling at her when she froze in her tracks. There was a man across the street staring at her. She couldn't make out any features other than he was tall and dark haired and had a menacing expression on his otherwise handsome face. Nicole shivered involuntarily.

"Nikki?" Mariana had almost run over her girlfriend but caught herself and stepped to the side, placing on hand on the small of her back. The other reached out and grabbed the handle of the stroller. "What is it?" Nicole glanced away from the man for a second but when she looked back he was gone.

"I thought I saw someone I knew." Mariana followed her line of sight but couldn't see anyone. "Never mind, let's go home." Nicole began moving again and the family followed. Mariana lingered behind for a moment watching he spot Nicole had been staring at. Finally, she shook her head and moved off, catching up with her family at the edge of the parking lot.

"Sandwiches for lunch?" Mariana asked after she and Nicole had climbed into their car. "We can go ahead and pick up the snack stuff for tonight if we go to the store now."

"Sounds good." Nicole reached across the center console and rested her hand on Mariana's upper thigh, just below the hem of the shorts the Latina was wearing, and began to stroke her thumb back and forth along the soft skin there.

"If you keep doing that, we'll have to cancel Family Movie Night." Mariana winked at the blonde as they left the parking lot, turning the car to right and heading towards the local supermarket. "It would be pretty terrible of us to cancel the first one."

Nicole laughed, "But Mari, just think of all the fun we could have with a night of our own." She grinned and moved the hand resting on Mariana's leg just enough to rake her nails over her skin. Mariana glanced at her out of the corner of her eye.

"You're in a playful mood today." She smiled. Nicole leaned close to Mariana who was suddenly glad they were already parked at the supermarket.

"Wanna see exactly how 'playful' I'm feeling right now." The words were a whisper against Mariana's neck punctuated with a kiss to just the right spot on the brunette's neck to make her release a low moan.

"Baby," She said in a thankfully calm voice, "our son is in the back seat, and we are in the middle of a parking lot." Nicole backed away with a pout on her lips and Mariana unbuckled herself and exited the vehicle. "I'm not saying no." Mariana continued once they had Donovan out of his car seat. The Latina winked at her girlfriend. "I'm saying I will be more than happy to continue this later."

"Let's get this party started!" Jesus hollered as he walked into his sister's apartment with Brandon, Callie and Jude. Stef and Lena had volunteered to take Donovan for the night so the kids could all hang out without worrying about waking up the baby. Nicole's aunt and uncle had already claimed the same job for next month.

Nicole was standing in the living room area throwing extra pillows on the floor. Mariana entered from the hall with a handful of blankets. "It amazes me," she said as Brandon took half the stack from her, "how many pillows we have in this place. I mean, considering that only two of the three of us living here actually use them." She fell onto the couch with a sigh. "I mean half the time, we don't even use them."

"Why wouldn't you use pillows?" Jude asked witch made his older siblings roll their eyes.

"We cuddle a lot sweetie, so we use each other as a pillow." Nicole explained over her shoulder while making her way to the kitchen for a soda. "Help yourselves guys. You know where everything is."

"Right I knew that." Jude hid his embarrassment by beginning to arrange a spot for himself on the floor. It had been assumed that he and Jesus would be on the floor, the coffee table had been moved to make room, while Callie and Brandon took the arm chairs. Nicole and Mariana were sharing the couch.

"What movies are we watching again?" Callie asked from the kitchen.

"We agreed to watch all of the Avengers Movies in chronological order, starting with Captain America." Brandon answered.

After snacks had been gathered and drinks placed within arms-reach, Jesus put the movie in and hit play. They joked quietly with one another as the movie went on.

"That's my kind of woman." Nicole said after Peggy Carter chased after some Hydra person on the streets of New York. "What?" She asked after receiving an elbow to side from the girl cuddled up against her. The others laughed while Mariana glared at her girlfriend and muttered something under her breath.

All of them were still wide awake when the movie ended so Jesus put in the first Iron Man movie. Snacks and drinks were refilled. Before long all of the teenagers were asleep, before the movie even hit the half way point.

Nicole woke up in the morning far more comfortable than she expected to after falling asleep on the couch. When she opened her eyes she was met with the familiar light gray of her bedroom instead of the white walls that covered the rest of the apartment. Turning her head, she found the space beside her empty and the sheets cold which told her Mariana had either been up for a while or had never even made it to the bed.

The blonde heard laughter as she made her way to the main part of the apartment. She recognized Mariana's laugh and Callie's chuckle. She mentally prepared herself for the worst but was utterly surprised when she turned the corner.

Callie and Mariana were standing next to the dining room table, laughing hysterically at the scene in the kitchen. Jesus, Brandon and Jude were all standing in the kitchen covered, much like the rest of the room, in a fine dusting of flour. A large sack of pancakes balanced on a plate in Jude's hands. He seemed to be concentrating very hard on not dropping the plate.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY KITCHEN?" Pancakes went flying everywhere as Jude jumped at the sound of Nicole's yell. Luckily, he kept ahold of the plate.

"Um, he did it." All three boys pointed at one another with a frightened look in their eyes.

"Total 'Mommy Mode' moment." Callie whispered to Mariana, but apparently not quiet soft enough.

"I heard that you two." Nicole didn't look away from the three brothers and her destroyed kitchen. Marian slowly moved towards her.

"Hon? You okay?" Mariana stopped a few steps away. "They'll clean it up, won't you boys?" Mariana's sharp glare had a similar effect as Nicole's 'Mommy Voice' and had all the boys viciously nodding their heads.

"Why? How did this even happen?" Nicole asked the girls.

"I'm not sure. I woke up around three this morning and carried you to the bed room. Jesus was awake when I came back so we sat up talking until we both fell back asleep. I woke up after I heard Brandon yell 'Oh Shit!' and found them just like you did." Mariana explained to the blonde watching the boys with an amused smile as they began to hurriedly clean the kitchen.

Nicole nodded and kissed her girlfriends' cheek in silent thanks for explaining and carrying her to their room. "This place better be spotless."

All three girls had to hold back a laugh as the boys began to scrub even harder. By the time Stef and Lena arrived with Donovan, there was no sign of flour in the kitchen.

"B, what's in your hair?" Lena reached up and brushed the white powder out of his hair, which landed on the kitchen floor.

Brandon's crazed scramble for the broom under Nicole's glare solidified the story as one to tell Donovan when he was older.


	19. Chapter 19

**AN ~ So this chapter took forever and a day, which I apologize for. I'm not really sure where my muse went, but it disappeared. Anyway, I shocked myself with the content of this chapter. Honestly never saw it going in this direction but whatever it's cool. Please leave a review and tell me what you think.**

 **Enjoy!**

A year ago, if someone said Nicole Cooper would be getting ready to start her senior year of high school in California with a wonderful son and a gorgeous girlfriend, she probably would have laughed in their face. Or punched them, depending on the person. Nevertheless, that is the exact situation she found herself in. She laid in bed with her back pressed against Mariana's front and an arm draped over her waist. She could feel their bare legs rubbing together and the soft skin of Mariana's toned stomach where Nicole had slipped her hand under the Latina's shirt. It was late, around two in the morning. Donovan was sleeping soundly down the hall; he wouldn't be awake for quite a while.

Nicole wasn't really sure why she was awake. Sometimes she would wake up for no reason at all and stay that way. She didn't mind anymore simply because it gave her the chance to admire the girl asleep in her arms without interruption. Nicole was absolutely certain she could spend hours just looking at Mariana. She beautiful. Her dark hair had gotten longer since they met, Nicole enjoyed playing with it while they watched TV or a movie. Her natural tan had darkened a bit under the summer sun, giving her a sun kissed glow. There was a smile on her lips, the ones that could make Nicole melt with just the slightest brush against her skin or lips. The brunette had kept up with her dancing work out throughout the summer so her body was toned but soft. Nicole loved feeling Mariana's curves pressed against her body. She didn't know how she got so lucky.

Still, there were some things she wished were different. She loved the little family she had made, and all of the AdamsFoster family but sometimes she still missed her mom and dad. She hated herself for it, after the way they treated her once they found out she was gay. But things with them hadn't always been bad. She remembered when she was in middle school and her mom would spend the evenings with her, teaching her how to cook. They would talk and laugh while stirring ingredients and setting the table. Nicole had enjoyed those years immensely, even though her father traveled a lot. It wasn't until she reached high school that things started to change. Her father was gone even more and her mother collapsed into herself. Their evenings in the kitchen ended and the happy family they once were, was gone.

Nicole was startled out of her thoughts when Mariana turned in her arms, wrapping both of her arms around Nicole's waist and nuzzling into her neck. The blonde thought she was still asleep until she felt soft lips press against the skin of her neck. Nicole smiled and ran her fingers through Mariana's hair.

"You should be sleeping," The words were mumbled against Nicole's neck.

"So should you," the blonde replied. Mariana pulled her head out from where it was tucked against her girlfriend to fix her with a sleep filled glare that was more adorable than scary. Nicole smiled at the sight and leaned over to kiss her girlfriend on the nose. "Go back to sleep baby, it's okay."

Mariana hummed and lazily kissed Nicole's lips before cuddling back into her. "Love you Nikki." She mumbled before sleep claimed her once again. Nicole chuckled softly. These moments with Mariana were something she cherished above all. Half-awake Mariana was the most adorable thing Nicole had ever seen and she was so glad that she was the only one who got to see the Latina like that. The last thought Nicole had before she fell asleep was that she was the luckiest person alive.

Nicole woke up to an empty bed. The sheets on Mariana's side were still warm so Nicole thought she hadn't been up for very long. She didn't hear any noise coming from the baby monitor either. After stretching, the blonde made her way into the living and found her girlfriend and son swaying gently from side to side in the center of the room. Mariana had her eyes closed as she sang softly to him and didn't notice Nicole leaning against the wall that separated the living area from the bedrooms. Nicole would have been content to watch them for a good deal longer, but Donovan had other ideas and squealed loudly when he noticed her.

"Morning love." Nicole said as she moved closer to Mariana. "Hi baby!" Donovan happily transferred to his mothers' arms while Mariana leaned up to steal a kiss.

"Sleep well?" Mariana asked over her shoulder after walking into the kitchen to make breakfast.

"Yeah, yeah. What about you baby boy? Huh? How did you sleep?" Nicole bounced the giggling baby on her hip and continued speaking to him in a cheesy baby voice. Mariana looked over at them and smiled before cracking open a few eggs to fry them. Soon she felt two arms wrap around her waist and the familiar weight of Nicole's chin on her shoulder. "You have today off right?" Nicole received a nod in response. "Great." Nicole kissed her cheek softly and then moved back over to their son to feed him.

Stef and Lena let themselves into their daughters apartment a few hours later and were actually surprised to see Nicole and Mariana on the couch, very much wrapped up in one another.

"Moms!" Mariana shrieked as she removed her hand from underneath the front of Nicole's shirt. "Don't you knock?" Nicole, who figured she was actually in a more compromising position to be caught in, laughed heartily at the deep blush spreading over her love's face and chest.

"You gave us a key, sweets." Stef held up the shiny silver object with a smile. It was nice to see her daughter acting like a normal teenager in love.

"We can always come back later, if you want to, you know, finish." Lena smirked at the young couple who hadn't moved other than Mariana removing her hand from Nicole's chest. The blonde was currently straddling Mariana's waist, her hands just barely covered by the fabric of Mariana's shirt.

"Gross, Mama." Mariana rolled her eyes and gently moved Nicole's hands off her stomach and sat up. Nicole took the hit and moved her leg so Mariana could get all the way up. They both stood and pulled the older women into hugs.

"We'll knock next time." Stef whispered in Mariana's ear before stepping back and loudly asking for her grandson.

"He's still napping, won't be up for about thirty minutes." Nicole answered. Before anything else could be said a sharp knock sounded from the front of the apartment. The two girls who lived there shared a questioning look before Nicole moved to open the door.

"Can I help- What are you doing here?" Nicole's happy demeanor changed in an instant, her voice harsher than Mariana had ever heard. "How did you even find me?"

"Nicole, please can we talk?" A masculine voice sounded first.

"Please let us in." An older female said a second later. Mariana gestured for her parents to have a seat and moved over to her girlfriend.

"Nikki," Mariana placed her hand on the small of Nicole's back as she moved up behind her. Standing on the other side of the door was a man, teenager really, who seemed to be a few inches taller than Nicole. He wore simple jeans and a white t-shirt. His dark hair was spiked up in the front. He didn't seem to notice Mariana, his green eyes never left Nicole. Next to him stood a shorter woman, almost Mariana's height who shared the same sharp features as Nicole, the only difference being her gray eyes. She knew who they were, but asked anyway. "Who are you?"

"I'm her mother." The woman said.

"And I hope to be her boyfriend." The boy answered, finally sparing the small brunette a glance, before he raked his eyes over Nicole's body once again. "If we can talk?" His eyes trailed over her form again and Mariana barely held back the urge to punch him. She would have, in fact she was moving to do just that, but Nicole wrapped her arm around the Latina's waist and held her back.

"I really would rather not." Nicole answered.

"We aren't leaving until you talk to us." The woman huffed and looked at Nicole expectantly.

"Fine," Nicole said. "But I refuse to talk to either of you alone." She pulled Mariana out of the way and let the pair into their apartment. Stef and Lena sat on the couch looking quite put out that their day with their daughters and grandson was interrupted.

The two newcomers stood awkwardly in the living room, receiving glares from everyone in the room until Nicole broke the silence.

"Stef, Lena will you please take Donovan. Mari and I will be over to pick him up later." If Nicole had to have this conversation, she didn't want to wake her son with a screaming match.

"Of course sweets." Lena moved into the nursery and gently lifted the sleeping boy from his crib. She and Stef had a car seat with them and plenty of diapers and such at their house. The older woman could sense Nicole's need to get her child out of there. "Call us when you're on your way." Both the boy and Nicole's mother snapped their eyes to the bundle in her arms but she moved quickly over to the door, shielding the baby with her body.

Once Stef and Lena were gone, the two unwelcome quests finally took a seat on the couch. Nicole sat in the chair furthest from them. Mariana considered the other chair for a second but one look at Nicole was enough to make her claim the arm of the chair where her girlfriend sat.

"First of all," Nicole broke the awkward silence that had fallen over them, "I have never been and will never be your girlfriend, Chad." His earlier comment had been bothering her, and Mariana, since the words left his mouth. "So you can just forget that."

"What? No! I won't forget that. It's half the reason I came out here." Chad protested. "Nicole, c'mon we belong together. We made a baby together."

"And where have you been for that baby's first five months of life? Because it certainly wasn't here taking care of him. No that was me and Mariana. We do not belong together, making a baby is not a reason to be together. Especially when the making happened when we were both drunk off our asses."

"But I love you. I've always loved you." Chad stood from his seat and moved to stand in front of the girls. "And I'm not taking no for an answer." He reached for the blonde, intent on pulling her into a kiss, but Mariana stepped in between them.

"You need to back up." Her voice was even, threatening. No one laid a hand on her girlfriend.

"Get out of my way." Chad growled at her. Nicole felt a sense of doom rising in her stomach, Chad had always had anger issues.

"I will not. You will not touch her. You cannot come into our home and push us around." Mariana stood her ground against the taller boy, clenching her fist.

"Get the fuck out of my way bitch." Chad roared and swung his fist, connecting with the Latina's nose with a sickening crack. Mariana was flung to the side and crashed to the floor with a loud thud.

"Mari!" Nicole gasped and tried to get to her but Chad grabbed her with both hands, bruising her arms. Out of the corner of her eye, Nicole saw her mother help Mariana get up.

"I will not let you go. You are mine." He leaned down and forced his lips to connect with Nicole's. Nicole fought back but couldn't escape until Chad suddenly let her go and doubled over in pain. Nicole looked up just in time to see Mariana hit him viciously against the head with her knee. Blood poured from the Latina's nose and Nicole could already see bruises forming around her eyes and on her knee cap from the force she used to hit him.

"She doesn't belong to anyone." Mariana growled to the nearly unconscious boy.

"Mari," Nicole called out to her, reaching for her.

"Nikki." Mariana moved over to her, wrapping her up in her arms not really caring about the blood covering each of them. "It's okay, love. I'm alright." She whispered the words against Nicole's neck. "I'm gonna go get Mike." The officer should be in his apartment just across the hall.

Mariana let go of her girlfriend when she felt her nod and moved towards the door. She pulled it open and was met with Mike, in uniform, poised to knock.

"Mariana what happened to you?"

"Mike, please, help. He came in and then there was shouting and he tried to kiss Nicole. I stopped him but he hit me and then he forced Nicole to kiss him, so I kicked his groin and kneed him in the face. Please help." Mariana spoke so fast all Mike really heard was 'please' 'he' and 'hit'. Making his way into the apartment he took in the scene and immediately radioed dispatch, asking for an ambulance and back up. As soon as that was done, he pulled out his phone and called Stef.

Mariana made her way back over to Nicole, who had collapsed on the couch with her mother. The other woman didn't touch her, but Mariana could see that she wanted to comfort her daughter. "Nikki? Baby, are you alright?" Mariana asked as she sat beside her, taking one hand in her own and rubbing circles on her back with the other. Nicole didn't answer, she only shifted to lean her head into Mariana's neck.

It was going to be a long night.


	20. Chapter 20

**AN~ Sorry for the long wait, again. I swear I'm trying to knock these out but time is just not on my side.** **My senior year of high school is kicking my ass and I have literally no free time between work, school, and extracurricular. Again, I'm sorry about the wait.**

 **I've noticed I get lots of follows and favorites but not a lot of reviews for each chapter. What's up with that?**

 **Enjoy!**

The motion around her blurred into nothing as Nicole sat on the couch. Mariana sat beside her, both of them covered in the blood that had been pouring out of the Latina's nose. Her mother sat on the other end, eyes wide in shock. Of all the outcomes Amanda Cooper expected, Chad assaulting one of the girls and forcing himself on the other honestly hadn't crossed her mind. Amanda knew that Nicole must have had some romantic connected to Mariana from when she had called and the Latina had taken Nicole's phone from her. She hadn't told Chad because she didn't think it had gotten that serious between the two of them.

As the officer, Mike she guessed, moved around the room to Chad and picked him up off the ground, Amanda watched the two young women console each other. Her daughter had picked her head up from where it rested on Mariana's neck and was inspecting her nose. She saw Nicole's lips move and then watched her get up and walk into the kitchen. She came back with a rag which she used to gently wipe the blood from Mariana's face and neck. The Latina seemed reluctant to let Nicole take care of her. After a few moments, Mariana reached up and wrapped her hand around Nicole's stopping the shaking and using it as a means to pull Nicole closer. Heaving sobs wracked her body as Mariana held her close, pressing kisses to her hair and forehead.

Before long two other officers showed up along with Stef.

Stef ignored the strange woman that sat on the couch and made a beeline for her daughters. Nicole was still crying, covered in blood. At first, Stef couldn't tell where the blood was coming from.

"Mariana?" Stef asked, kneeling in front of the couch.

"I'm okay. My nose is probably broken, but I'm okay." Mariana reassured her blond mother in hushed tones, still holding Nicole close.

"Nicole?" The blonde didn't verbally answer, just nodded her head slightly. Mariana gestured to the bruises on her arms but made no further comment. Stef looked over both girls, noticing that Mariana seemed to be the most physically hurt, but Nicole was hurt emotionally. "Donovan is fine; he was sound asleep when I left." Some paramedics walked in and headed towards them. "You need to let them take you both to hospital, okay?" Mariana nodded and turned her head towards Nicole's ear.

"Nikki," She whispered, "we need to get up. It's okay, I promise. They just need to check us out. C'mon baby." Nicole nodded slowly and finally looked up, her gaze landing on her mother. Stef and Mariana both turned to look at the older blonde as well.

"I… "Amanda lost her words when Nicole just shook her head. With a firm grip on her girlfriend's hand, Nicole left the room, allowing the paramedics to lead them to the ambulance.

Stef stayed in the apartment, waiting until Mike and the others had gotten Chad out before turning to the blonde.

"Mrs. Cooper, I presume."

"Yes."

"Alright, look. I don't care why you are here or how you found Nicole. But if I find out that you wanted to hurt that girl, or that you are the reason my daughter has a broken nose, it will be the end of you. You'll be behind bars for the rest of your life."

"I, I'm not," Amanda stuttered over her words under Stef's harsh glare. "I didn't want any of this to happen. I just wanted to see her, to meet my grandson. I wanted him to have a father."

"He doesn't need a father, he has Nicole." Stef stared at the other woman, "Now, get out of my daughters' apartment."

Stef released a long sigh once Amanda was gone and set to work cleaning up. Somehow, there was no broken glass or furniture, but there was blood everywhere. Stef called Lena before she began to scrub up the blood.

"Stef? Are the girls okay?"

"Yeah, they're fine. Mostly. The paramedics took them to hospital to set Mariana's nose." She heard Lena, and others, gasp. Lena must have her on speaker. "They're gonna be fine. I'm going to clean up here and then head to the hospital."

"Which hospital?" Lena asked. Stef answered and traded goodbyes with the rest of her family before hanging up. Then she cleaned. She scrubbed the floor until it shined again, until she felt like she could leave without breaking down.

Nicole and Mariana were in much better shape by the time Stef got to the hospital. Nicole was sitting as close to the exam table as possible, leaning against Mariana's leg that wasn't covered with an ice bag. Mariana held Donovan to her chest with her eyes closed. Donovan was awake but seemed to understand that now was not the time to make a big fuss. Instead he rested against his mother, happily sucking on his pacifier. Mariana had a bandage on her nose and two black eyes, the left one was worse than the right. Stef couldn't see her knee, but she assumed there was a bruise there too. Lena stood leaning against the doorway, Jude and Jesus both sat in chairs against the wall. Stef quietly walked up to them, slipping her arm around Lena's waist and smiling at her sons. Nicole smiled at her, the movement barely reaching her eyes.

"What did the doctor say?" Stef asked.

"Broken nose, bruises, no concussion thankfully but I should take it easy for a few days." Mariana answered without opening her eyes.

"We're just waiting for the discharge papers." Nicole said before turning her gaze back to Mariana and Donovan. There seemed to be nothing else to say so the family sat in silence until the doctor returned.

It took all of two seconds for Nicole to realize that Stef must have cleaned. The air smelt like bleach, but perhaps the biggest difference was that there was no red stain on the floor. She sent a silent thank you to her girlfriends' mom as she made her way to the nursery. Donovan had cried from the time they left the hospital till they got home, finally falling asleep as they made their way upstairs. Mariana moved to the couch and laid down. Soon she felt the warmth of Nicole's body resting against her. The blonde slipped her hands under the Latina's shirt and pressed her face into the crook of Mariana's neck. Mariana slipped her hands around Nicole in return, gently stroking her hair with one hand, the other resting on her waist.

"I'm so sorry," Nicole whispered the words against her love's neck.

"You have nothing to apologize for." Mariana answered back, giving the other blonde a gentle squeeze.

"None of this would've happened if I had just closed the door." Nicole lifted her head to look Mariana in the eyes. Mariana read the sadness and regret there.

"Stop," She cupped the blonde's face with both hands. "You did the right thing. Who knows what would have happened if you had refused them. Please, don't beat yourself up over this." Mariana leaned forward and rested their foreheads together. "I love you." Nicole sighed heavily, her eyes filled with tears that finally fell when Mariana connected their lips.

Nicole kissed her gently, mindful of her broken nose, pouring all her love into the kiss. Tears continued to escape from her eyes leaving a salty taste on their lips. Mariana kissed her back desperately, moving both hands to Nicole's waist and holding the blonde against her body. When they finally parted, breathless, Nicole gently kissed Mariana on the nose, before settling back against her. They sat in silence for a long moment, neither really wanting to separate from the other long enough to get ready for bed. Eventually Nicole sat up and moved to head to the bedroom. Mariana had fallen asleep on the couch, no doubt exhausted from the physical and emotional toll of the day. Nicole bent down and picked her girlfriend up bridal style. Mariana curled into her chest as Nicole walked down the short hall to their room. Gently setting the Latina on the bed, Nicole kissed her forehead and whispered 'I love you' before moving to her own side and climbing in.

Mariana laid on her side facing away from the blonde. Nicole moved up behind her and draped one arm over her waist, the other reaching under the pillow to connect with Mariana's hand. Sighing contently, Nicole finally fell asleep.


	21. Chapter 21

**AN~ Bit of a time jump in this chapter. I'm kinda going to rush/speed through the senior year except for the holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Valentines, Easter) and then graduation. After graduation is kind of up in the air right now. Honestly it will depend on how much free time I have to write (or how much time I can make to write) right now I'm supposed to be writing a Midterm Essay but I can only handle Anglo-Saxon literature for so long before my brain turns to mush.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **HALLOWEEN**

"Trick or treat!" Mariana and Nicole yelled at Stef who had just pulled open the door to the AdamsFoster home after the girls knocked.

"Oh, don't you all look adorable!" Stef smiled at them as she took in their outfits. Nicole was dressed as Daphne, Mariana as Velma and Donovan was in an adorable Scooby-Doo onesie and currently playing with the tail from his stroller. "Lena! You have to come see this." Stef stepped aside to let the small family into the house. Jesus sat in the living room, fake blood covering his ripped clothes and his face unnaturally pale for his zombie costume. Jude was coming down the stairs straightening his tie and putting a pair of aviators on to complete his look, Agent Phil Coulson. Stef had decided to forgo an entire costume and wore a simple witches hat.

"Oh you guys are adorable!" Lena came in from the kitchen wearing a string of lights in the shape of ghosts around her neck. "Who's idea, was it?" Lena asked as she moved to hug both girls.

"Mine," Nicole said with a wink at her girlfriend, "but Mari picked the outfits out."

"I saw the Scooby-Doo onesie and I just knew." Mariana hugged both of her moms before taking Donovan out of his stroller and heading towards her brothers.

"Hey there little man." Jesus said as they got closer. Donovan turned in her arms to get a better look at his uncle. Jesus smiled at him, the fake blood on his chin giving him a very creepy look. Mariana and Nicole had expected Donovan to fear Jesus in costume but instead he giggled and reached out for Jesus. Jesus confidently lifted him out of Mariana's arms, a far cry from the nervous mess he had been when Donovan was born. Jude came over too and laughed when Donovan reached for his glasses. Mariana smiled at them and headed towards the kitchen, guessing that was where her moms and girlfriend had gone off too when she didn't hear them in the room anymore.

"So has he contacted you?" Stef was asking Nicole when Mariana walked. The Latina stood behind her girlfriend, resting both hands on her back over tense muscles. Chad had been a nuisance to them since that night. They had hoped he would stop when school started but he kept on trying to reach them, mostly demanding that Nicole talk to him or to see Donovan.

"He keeps trying, we've stopped answering unknown numbers and made sure all of our accounts were private. The next thing to do would be change our numbers." Nicole answered, sighing deeply. Mariana rubbed circles on her back gently and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

"And your mom?" Lena asked.

"We've talked to her a couple times. She keeps apologizing for bringing him here. All she asks is that we give her periodic updates on our lives and Donovan. She understands that I don't want to see or be around her right now." Nicole sat up a bit and then leaned back into Mariana who wrapped her arms around her and mumbled something against her hair before kissing her again. Nicole smiled and relaxed in her arms.

Stef was going to comment on their positions reminiscent of the time over a year ago when they had first gotten together but deiced not to. Instead she was hit with the sudden realization that so much had changed since that time. Her house had one less person in it and her heart had two more. Mariana and Nicole had grown so much, both in their relationship and as people, as parents. Of all the things that had changed, the love between them had remained the same, burning even brighter as their first year together dragged on. Stef silently acknowledged how proud she was of her daughter and the partner she had chosen.

"Enough serious talk, we have a neighborhood to trick or treat." Stef spoke up after a long moment of silence and after a crazy rush for bags, pictures and last minute costume fixing, the family left the house for Donovan's first Halloween.

Hours later, Mariana and Nicole entered their apartment happy and exhausted. Donovan was already asleep in Nicole's arms who transferred the sleeping baby to Mariana and moved to the couch to take off her Daphne boots. She removed the band from her hair and the scarf from around her neck as well, relaxing against the couch and listening to Mariana say good night through the baby monitor.

"Tired, baby?" Mariana asked once she entered the living room sometime later, she had gone ahead and taken her makeup off and changed into a pair of comfy sweats and a loose t-shirt. She stood to the side of the arm of the couch Nicole was sitting by, running her hand through Nicole's hair and gently massaging her scalp. Nicole hummed an answer with a sleepy smile. Her eyes had closed while she was waiting for Mariana but now she opened them to gaze at her lover. "You need to at least wash your face before you fall asleep." Nicole grunted in protest but stood up anyway. Mariana smiled up at her and pulled her down for a kiss, much happier that their height difference returned to normal now that Nicole wasn't wearing her boots. Nicole hummed against her lips and bumped their noses together before leaving the room. Mariana trailed behind her but crawled into bed instead of turning for the bathroom.

Mariana couldn't help but stare as Nicole entered the room wearing only a pair of long athletic tights and a black sports bra. The blonde was finally happy with her body again, with many reassurances from Mariana that the Latina thought she was incredibly sexy and gorgeous no matter what, and had recently gotten into the habit of walking around their bedroom without a shirt on. Mariana was absolutely certain she did it just to tease her.

"Babe? Did you hear me?" Mariana had been so focused on Nicole's abs she had completely failed to notice that the owner of said abs was speaking to her.

"What?" She smiled innocently but saw from Nicole's smirk she had been busted.

"I asked if you had a good time tonight? But I don't mind you staring at my abs instead of answering." She winked and Mariana rolled her eyes even as she blushed.

"Yes I had a great time," Mariana's eyes followed Nicole as the blonde climbed into bed beside her. They both scooted down and over, Mariana lifted her arm in invitation and Nicole slid into her embrace. Draping an arm across Mariana's abdomen, Nicole kissed her girlfriend's neck before settling against her shoulder. "Did you?"

"Yeah it was fun. I've never really done the Halloween thing, at least not that I can remember." Nicole snuggled closer. "My parents never wanted to dress up and go out so I would normally just watch movies all night and eat a bunch of candy. I had to clean up right away or my parents would punish me for making a mess." Nicole closed her eyes as she felt Mariana kiss her forehead.

"We've always trick or treated our neighborhood. Jesus and I used to dress up in matching costumes and Lexi would join us until she moved away." Mariana thought for a moment. "But I think this is better. I'd much rather come home and crawl into bed with you than argue with my brothers over who got the most candy." Nicole chuckled and lifter her head. They kissed softly, without rush, just a simple meeting of lips.

"I like it this way, too."


	22. Chapter 22

**AN ~ Hello all! Guess who's procrastinating again! If anyone is interested, I'm starting a Pitch Perfect fic that will be posted before Black Friday, so be on the look out for that.**

 **Enjoy!**

The best part of not living at home anymore, Mariana thought, was not having to constantly deal with her brothers arguing over some stupid thing. Jude and Jesus had gotten closer as they grew up, but they were still both boys. Mariana did not miss the ridiculous arguments her brothers had about things like who got the bathroom first or where stuff went in their shared room. Why they still shared a room, Mariana would never know. Their current argument was about, of all things, the best TV show. And of course they decided to have this argument while visiting Mariana after school when they got out for Thanksgiving. Mariana had gotten the week of work but Nicole had to work until five that evening, so Mariana was alone with her brothers and Donovan.

All three boys were in the living room, Donovan bouncing on Jesus' knee as both boys made faces at their nephew while continuing their argument. Mariana was in the kitchen pulling out the ingredients to make mixed fajitas for her, Nicole and her brothers to eat for dinner that night. She had texted both of her moms saying she would send the boys home around eight, giving them a little bit of time to hang out after Donovan went to bed, and that they should enjoy their day before the whole family joined them tomorrow and Thursday for Thanksgiving.

Mariana glanced at the clock and noticed that Nicole should be walking in the door at any moment. Reaching for her phone, Mariana hit on her playlist titled "cooking" and got to work chopping vegetables and meat to put in a large bowl for seasoning. Every now and again she glanced up to check on her son and brothers. So engrossed in her task, she didn't hear the door open or Nicole greet her bothers. In fact, she didn't even register the fact that Nicole was home until a very familiar set of lips pressed against the spot behind her ear that made Mariana weak in the knees and two arms wrapped around from behind. Mariana loved the way Nicole held her, always sliding both hands across her hips and stomach before gently resting them across her waist.

"Hi, love." Nicole whispered in her ear. Mariana turned to face her with a beaming smile.

"Hi," Nicole accepted the kiss Mariana leaned up to give her. "How was work?"

"Good, good. Printing day you know so, I had to wash my hands like three times before I left." Nicole laughed. "But good. Are the boys staying?"

"Only until dinner," Mariana dropped the last of the vegetables in the bowl with all the meat and gestured for Nicole to hand her the seasoning. "I told moms they'd be home around eight." Nicole nodded and pressed another kiss against Mariana's lips as she handed her the seasoning before moving into the living room. Mariana watched her girlfriend lift their son out of Jesus' arms and kiss his cheek repeatedly. Life, Mariana thought, was pretty good.

The next day, Mariana woke up with Nicole cuddled against her side. The brunette gently combed her fingers through blonde hair, quietly reveling in the feel of their naked bodies pressed together. Nicole's skin was soft under her fingertips, concealing the muscles Mariana knew where there from moving heavy boxes of newspapers around. Mariana had her girlfriend's body memorized and found herself mapping it out on mornings like these, when it was just the two of them. Donovan had yet to awake which was its own kind of blessing.

"If you keep doing that we'll be late for lunch." Nicole spoke softly, whispering the words against Mariana's neck.

"Is that a bad thing?" Mariana began to run her fingers over Nicole with a bit more pressure, stroking her.

"Mari," Her name escaped Nicole on a sigh that turned into a soft moan as Mariana added more pressure.

They were very late for lunch.

Stef and Lena shot their daughter a knowing look, smirking slightly when Mariana turned red, when the couple finally arrived at the AdamsFoster house for lunch.

"Sorry, we're late," Nicole said while pointedly avoiding look at either of her girlfriend's parents, "we overslept."

"Sure you did." Jesus rolled his eyes and then winced when Jude smacked his arm.

"Don't worry about it girls. Now that you're here, we can eat." Stef gestured for the two girls to sit down and took her grandson from Nicole's arms. Lunch at the AdamsFoster house proved to be as noisy and delicious as always. Donovan was wide awake because of his extended sleep that morning and babbled happily at everyone only crying when his diaper was full and when he got hungry.

Later that day, Nicole sat in the living room with Jude. The two of them were watching Jesus play some videogame while Nicole painted Jude's toenails. Mariana was on the couch behind them, scrolling through something on her phone. Stef and Lena were upstairs, giving Donovan a bath after he decided to through ketchup on himself during dinner. Mariana had gotten up to help but her mothers insisted on doing it themselves. Since the other people of the household were engaged in something, it was Mariana who got up to answer the door.

"Mariana! I missed you so much, you look great." Lexi threw her arms around Mariana almost as soon as she opened the door. Nicole glanced up curiously and watched her girlfriend disentangle herself from the taller Latina.

"Lexi? What are you doing here?" Mariana asked, stunned but smiling.

"I wanted to surprise you. We moved back about a week ago but my parents wouldn't let me come over until today because we had a lot of unpacking to do. Where's Jesus?"

"Hey, Lex. It's good to see you." Jesus had paused his game and moved over to warmly embrace his ex.

"Nicole, did you guys bring an extra outfit? Lexi, hey, what are you doing here?" Stef had come down the stairs, her shirt soaking wet but paused at the bottom of the stairs when she saw Lexi.

"I got it babe," Mariana moved over to diaper bag and pulled a onesie and diaper out. She handed both to her mother before turning back to Lexi.

"Nicole? Babe?" Lexi had quietly asked Jesus who nodded towards the blonde in the living room who had just finished Jude's toenails. Lexi watched the blonde move over to Mariana and whisper something in her ear.

"Do you need me?" Nicole asked softly.

"Always." Mariana answered with a smile, making Nicole chuckle. "No, not for this. At least not now, I'll yell if I need you. Keep the family occupied for me?"

"Not a problem my love." Nicole gently kissed Mariana on the lips and forehead before gesturing for Jesus and Jude to follow her into the kitchen. Stef retreated back upstairs. Mariana turned to her old friend who was staring at her in shock.

"I guess we have a lot to catch up on."


	23. Chapter 23

**AN – Sorry about the super long wait on this chapter. I have kind of lost interest in the Fosters, but I will see this story through to the end. This chapter covers Christmas and after that we will have a chapter for New Year's, Valentine's Day, Donovan's First Birthday, Graduation, and an Epilogue.**

 **Enjoy!**

Nicole did her very best not to head back to the front room and listen to the conversation going on in the living room between the two former best friends. Jesus and Jude did their best to distract her and keep involved in the conversation but it just wasn't working. She could tell that they knew it was pretty much hopeless but they continued to keep her mind off of it and she appreciated that.

She couldn't be happier now that she had AdamsFoster family in her life. Her aunt and uncle were great but Nicole can't help but feel that she interrupted their lives when she came to live with them, and then again when she moved out less than six months later. She wouldn't trade the decisions she made for anything, but she couldn't help thinking that they might have been happier if she never moved to California. The AdamsFoster family had accepted her so easily, for the most part anyway. They didn't send her away when they found out about Donovan and then even allowed her relationship with Mariana to flourish so much. She knew that if Stef and Lena had said no when she and Mariana asked to move in together, their relationship would not be the same as it is now. Nicole wouldn't be nearly as happy as she is now.

Jude and Jesus had become the brothers she always wanted and she knew they viewed her as a sister. They always said she would be their sister one day anyway so they were just getting used to it earlier than planned. Nicole always smiled at that. She had yet to tell Mariana about that conversation and she didn't know if she ever would. Nicole would love nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with Mariana, but they were still young and marriage was a huge commitment.

A laugh from the other room dragged Nicole out of her thoughts and she once again longed to know what they were talking about. She didn't have long to wait because both Latina's came into the room soon after. Mariana stepped up behind Nicole, who was sitting on one of the stools around the table, and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Nicole felt herself relax and sag against her girlfriend. The blonde reached one hand up to intertwine their fingers as the two newcomers joined to conversation. She noticed Lexi giving her an odd look, but with Mariana's arms around her she didn't really care.

Stef and Lena came into the room soon after carrying a clean and changed Donovan who was babbling happily at them. They deposited him on Nicole's lap and moved to greet Lexi. Mariana adjusted her grip on the blonde, sliding her hands down her back to settle on her waist as she leaned down to smile at her son over his mothers shoulder.

"Were you a good boy for your grandmothers?" Nicole asked in a baby voice. "I see you both changed." Nicole directed towards the older couple who laughed and explained that they weren't warned about the splashing.

"Giving you a warning takes all the fun out of you finding out about it." Mariana laughed at her mothers and thanked them both for washing him. "We should probably head home now." Nicole nodded her agreement and moved to stand up.

"Home?" Lexi asked. Nicole looked at Mariana with a slight frown, thinking Mariana had neglected to tell the other Latina about their living arrangements.

"Yeah, I told you that we live together." Mariana answered her hand came to rest on the small of Nicole's back.

"I thought you meant you live together here. Like, in this house." Lexi looked a little freaked out, or worried maybe. Nicole couldn't decide.

"No, we have an apartment together." Mariana left Nicole's side momentarily to say goodbye to her brothers and mothers. Nicole noticed her hesitate slightly before giving Lexi a hug as well.

"We'll get together and catch up more soon, Lexi." Mariana said as she rejoined Nicole, who passed Donovan to her so the blonde could collect the diaper bag and their keys. The small family left the house, silently making their way home. Donovan, surprising neither of them, quickly fell asleep in the comfort of his car seat and was still thankfully snoozing when Mariana placed him in his crib ten minutes later.

Nicole made her way into the bedroom to change into pajamas. She had just entered the bathroom to brush her teeth when Mariana walked in, dressed in long t-shirt and pair of boy short underwear. She smiled at Nicole and leaned over to brush her lips against Nicole's exposed shoulder as she reached for her contact case.

"So, how'd Lexi take everything?" Nicole asked once Mariana had her contacts out and had slid her glasses on.

"Alright I guess," Mariana shrugged as she turned to lean back against the bathroom counter, "she seemed fine with it but she might be in shock. I mean, it is a lot to take in. When she left, I didn't even know I liked girls and now I have a girlfriend and a son. It was a big adjustment for everyone but at least the rest of my friends had some time to get used to it."

"Do you think she will? Get used to it, I mean." Nicole asked.

"I hope so, but it doesn't matter. Whether Lexi approves or not I'm not going anywhere. I love you and Donovan too much to leave now, or ever." Mariana smiled when Nicole leaned over to kiss her.

"I love you too."

Christmas came upon both girls faster than either of them expected. With it being Donovan's first Christmas the holidays had been more than a little hectic but both Mariana and Nicole were happy with their second holiday season together.

They finally returned to the apartment after celebrating Christmas with Mariana's family around ten at night. Donovan was spending the night with his grandmothers, something they were much happier to volunteer for since Donovan began sleeping through the night, so it was just the two of them. Mariana collapsed on the couch, slipping her shoes off before laying down across the soft surface. Nicole chuckled as Mariana sighed in happiness and comfort.

"Need anything from the kitchen Mari?" Nicole asked as she pulled open the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water.

"Only you." Mariana called back and Nicole rolled her eyes at the cheesiness of that comment but nevertheless made her way over to her girlfriend. She waited until Mariana lifted her feet before sitting down and pulling them into her lap.

"That was incredibly cheesy." Nicole commented.

"But it made you smile." Mariana grinned at her before moaning softly when Nicole began to rub her aching feet. Nicole smirked at the sound and continued to massage her girlfriends' feet and lower legs.

"Have you talked with Lexi?"

"She's texted me a couple times, but all the times she wanted to get together we had something going on either with your family or mine. She might go to the beach party on New Year's Eve. You still want to go to that?" Mariana raised one eyebrow in question. Last year, they were still settling into the apartment and Nicole had been more than halfway through her pregnancy at New Year's and was in no mood to party. She was determined to make up for that this year.

"Yeah, as long as my aunt and uncle still want to watch Donovan." The plan was to drop the baby off around five and then head to the AdamsFoster house to get ready for the party. Then they would pile in the car with Jesus and Jude to go to the all-night party on the beach and watch the fireworks go off before coming back to Marian's childhood home to sleep for a few hours.

"Sounds good." Mariana hummed softly, her eyes closing of their own accord. After a while, Nicole gently pushed Marianas feet off her lap and stood up. Mariana opened her eyes slowly, taking in the sight of Nicole wearing skin tight jeans, a red sweater and black booties with her hand extended towards Mariana. The Latina took the offered hand, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. Once standing, Mariana rose up on her tip toes to place a soft kiss against Nicole's lips, looping her arms around the blonde's shoulders as the kiss deepened when Nicole slid her hands along Mariana's back and rear. She felt Nicole smile into the kiss and pulled back, nuzzling their noses together.

"Merry Christmas Nikki."

"Merry Christmas, Mari."


	24. Chapter 24

**AN~ Sorry this update took literally a year to get up. Two more chapters and that'll be it for this story but I have no clue when those will be posted.**

Mariana couldn't sleep. It wasn't an unusual occurrence for her, especially since Donovan had been born. Mariana couldn't believe that her baby boy was only a month away from turning one. One! He was growing so fast. Mariana loved watching all of his accomplishments, especially when his first word had been a loud, happy "Momma!" when Mariana had come home later than normal due to a last-minute rush at work. Donovan had lit up when he saw her and happily cried out before making his way slowly towards her on wobbling feet. Nicole had followed behind him, swooping in to steal a kiss once Donovan was in Mariana's arms. The blonde had the biggest smile on her face, a smile which only grew when Donovan looked at her and clearly said "Mommy!" Both women were amazed that he could pronounce both words and proceeded to take several videos of their son and calling their respective parents. The memory brought a smile to Mariana's face, making her bite her lip to keep from laughing softly.

Nicole shifted beside her, rolling to face Mariana. She scooted closer to the Latina, a hand winding its way underneath the hem of Mariana's tank top. Nicole sighed in her sleep, seemingly content to just know Mariana was there. Mariana smiled again, sliding closer to her girlfriend. She knew that she should really be sleeping, both of them had to be at work early in the morning so they could take the afternoon off which they planned to do for every day of spring break, but watching Nicole sleep and listening to the sound of their sons' even breathing through the baby monitor was too good to pass up. Nicole nestled closer to her, pressing her forehead into the crook of Mariana's neck. Mariana softly pulled her fingers through Nicole's hair as she thought about everything that had happened in the past year and half since she and Nikki had started dating.

It had been a crazy ride, Mariana was sure, but so incredibly worth it. Having Nicole and Donovan filled a hole that Mari hadn't even been aware she had had. Knowing that both of their families supported them, the ones who mattered anyway, had been an even bigger weight lifted off her shoulders. She loved her family so much, both the family that she had grown up and the one she and Nicole had made together. There were so many things about her life that she loved. The only thing she would change right now was Lexi. The other Latina had been warm to Mariana and even Donovan but she had become rather icy with Nicole. Mariana wasn't sure why, but after a long discussion with Jesus, she decided that the most probable cause was that Lexi was jealous of Nicole. Not because she was interested in Mariana or anything like that, no Mari was pretty sure that Lexi thought Nicole had replaced her in the role of best friend. In a way, she was right. Nicole had become Mariana's best friend, the Latina was a firm believer that a relationship wouldn't work unless there was some base of friendship, but she had also become so much more than that. Nicole was her best friend, girlfriend, lover, partner and equal. Mariana loved and respected her, and knew she was loved and respected in return.

"Why on earth are you wide awake right now?" Nicole's sleepy voice pulled Mariana from her thoughts. The blonde had shifted against her, now resting her head on Mari's chest, looking up at her with sleep-riddled eyes.

"Why are you awake right now?" Mariana returned with a smile.

"I asked you first." Nicole's protest came softly, her eyes mostly closed. Mariana laughed quietly as she rolled the two of them over so they rested side by side.

"Just thinkin'." Mariana answered.

"'bout what?" Nicole opened her arms slightly, an invitation for Mariana to curl against her chest which is exactly what the Latina did.

"How much I love you." Nicole's heart beat was even and soothing beneath Mari's ear, bringing her closer and closer to the sleep that had been evading her for most of the night.

"Love you, too." Nicole mumbled the words against Mari's forehead as sleep quickly claimed her once again. When she woke up, she'd ask for more details on what Mariana was thinking about, but her lover would just smile at her and press their lips together.

Donovan happily pushed bits of cake and frosting around his plate as the AdamsFoster and Cooper families cheered around him. Nicole smiled happily as her son, licking the blue frosting the boy had so happily spread across her face from her lips. Mariana laughed as Donovan, seeing Nicole attempt to clean her face, reached for his mother again and spread more cake across her face and down her neck. The family around the burst out laughing as Nicole stood up, quickly attempting to cover the opening of her tank top to keep any cake from falling into her bra and failing miserably. Mariana, nearly doubled over in laughter, had placed her hand on the small of Nicole's back to help herself balance.

Nicole, throwing a wink in the direction of Jude and Brandon, reached down to her son's tray and covered her hand in icing.

"Mari, babe," Nicole said, wrapping her free arm around her girlfriend. "You've got a little something…" Nicole trailed off as she covered her girlfriend's face in frosting.

"Nicole!" Mariana shrieked at her, her cry quickly dissolving into laughter. "You are so going to pay for that!" Mariana moved out of Nicole' arms and scooped up some cake into her hand. Nicole eyed her warily and ducked just as Mariana tossed the cake in her direction. Stef shrieked as she was hit with the cake, spreading it across her chest and neck.

"Oops." Mariana shrugged unapologetically as her blonde-haired mother turned to her with an icy glare. Lena was too busy laughing to try and stop her wife from escalating the food throwing. It was all over when Donovan carelessly flung cake into the air managing to hit Callie and Jesus who then attacked Brandon and Jude when they laughed. Stef, noticing that her wife was still clean, took it upon herself to make Lena join in and spread cake all over her face and neck. Martin and Amanda, along with Nicole's little cousin Jason, joined in quickly, pelting Brandon, who had so far been able to dodge the cake flying at him.

Various screams of outrage filled the room as blue icing and chocolate cake flew around the room. Mike, who had gone to use the restroom after Nicole and Mariana had helped Donovan blow out his candles, was immediately pelted by the boys as soon as he was in range. Mariana looked over at Nicole when she heard the girl laugh happily. Grabbing her arm, Mariana maneuvered herself into her girlfriends' arms and pressed their lips together. Nicole smiled against her lips and pulled her closer.

"I love you." Nicole whispered against her lips.

"I love you too."

"Get a room!" Jesus's holler brought the food fight to a halt as everyone turned to stare at the couple.

"We have one." Mariana rolled her eyes.

"We have an entire apartment actually, but right now it seems to be covered in cake and frosting." Nicole had one hand on her hip, the other wrapped around Mariana's shoulders, but the 'mom' affect was lost due to the icing smeared on her face. Still, it seemed that the boys remembered the last time they had made a mess of Nicole's kitchen and promised to clean it up later. With that in mind, all three AdamsFoster boys turned and pelted Mariana and Nicole with cake.

After everyone had had a piece of cake, and cleaned off the remaining cake from their bodies, the boys began to clean up the mess that had been made all over the apartment. Callie and Jason laughed and directed the boys on how to clean, supervising as they told Mariana they would while the couple changed in to some clean clothes. The four adults had reconvened in the living with Donovan after he had been put in his pajamas for the night. He toddled back and forth between the four of them, climbing in and out of laps as they talked.

"I can't believe how good the girls are doing on their own." Amanda commented as Mariana and Nicole made their way to the kitchen to wash the dishes. They all turned to watched the girls move in synch.

"They are doing great." Stef said.

"As much as I love little man here, I do wish we could have had Nicole out here much sooner." Martin said. "Her family was so close, they all loved each other dearly. Until her father got a promotion and spent more time on a plane than at home. With her dad gone, her mother just collapsed." Martin sighed. "She should have been here years ago."

The man looked much older than he was as he watched his niece interact with her family. Nicole had become so strong, and independent. She had proved that she didn't need her parents. She had Donovan and Mariana, but Martin knew that she missed the people her parents used to be.

"She's here now. That's all that matters." Lena squeezed the little boy in her lap gently, smiling when she began to nod off against her chest. "The party wore little man out." With that, the adults turned back to small talk.

Eventually, it was only the small family that resided in the apartment. Donovan had already been asleep for an hour before everyone was finally gone. Mariana then laid on the couch and pulled the blonde down with her before Nicole could get started on the dishes. Nicole chuckled as she made herself comfortable against Mariana, gently kissing her neck.

"I can't believe he's already one."

"I can't either," Nicole kissed her again. "It seems like we just brought him home yesterday. Before we know it he'll be off to college."

"No!" Mariana shook her head. "No college, he's going to stay my little baby forever." Nicole laughed and mumbled something along the lines of 'sure, babe' before leaning up and claiming Mariana's lips in a searing kiss.


End file.
